What have you opened this week?

[Moses Botbol]

1970 Noval Vintage. Good start to the new year.

[Mike J. W.]

2003 Offley Boa Vista VP. Not fully integrated yet. It probably needs 5 to 7 more years, but it will be a pretty decent Port when it's ready. Great QPR at $41 a bottle.

[Glenn E.]

1934 Dalva Colheita, bottled 1972

[Andy Velebil]

1934 Dalva Colheita, bottled 1972

I have one of these. Not sure bottling date, if I remember it wasn't visible anymore. It's in a weird shaped bottle...going off memory as it's in the cellar. But it is not a recent bottling, so I assume probably around when yours was. How was it?

[Tom Archer]

I have a stash of these, but haven't opened one for nearly ten years now. Mine were bottled in 1973.

The bottling date is normally in the middle of the label in small black text over the brown label, so easy to miss.

[Eric Menchen]

S. Leonardo 20 Year Old Tawny

[Glenn E.]

1934 Dalva Colheita, bottled 1972

I have one of these. Not sure bottling date, if I remember it wasn't visible anymore. It's in a weird shaped bottle...going off memory as it's in the cellar. But it is not a recent bottling, so I assume probably around when yours was. How was it?

There are at least 3 bottlings that I'm aware of... mine from 1972, and then one from the 80's and one from the mid to late 90's. Sorry I don't remember the exact years for either of those. There is likely also a 2000+ bottling as Roy remembers having one that was "fresh" in this century. I believe all of them use the same weird, squat bottle which is pretty cool.

Mine was interesting. I ended up at 91 points. I think one person had it higher and one person had it lower. Plus one person thought it was flawed and didn't rate it. Mine had a t-stopper which clearly isn't intended to keep for 48 years in bottle, but while the t-stopper was starting to shrink and get loose there was no noticeable leakage. Without the capsule to hold it firmly in place, though, I would no longer trust that t-stopper to keep the bottle closed/sealed on its side. The t-stopper probably contributed to some extra oxidation, but it wasn't obvious to me (and no one else made any comments to that effect).

I served it pop-and-pour just in case the bottle age had created a monster, but in retrospect it should have been decanted for an hour or two. No bottle stink, but it did need air to open up and show well. Early on it was too subtle and nuanced to be able to take decent notes, which was probably partly due to following a 1987 Graham Malvedos. But we all went back to it numerous times as well, and as it opened up it started to be able to stand up with the other Ports. I noted a distinct honey character to a medium full body. Some faint Christmas spices and faint butterscotch. I also noted cream cheese cake icing - like what you'd ice a carrot cake with - and later in the evening some caramel and eventually coffee. The coffee and other torrefaction notes were very late to develop, and as they showed up there was also a bit of sharpness that developed to the alcohol. There was basically no fruit left, so overall it was pretty simple though there was still a luxuriousness about it.

One comment that I made while we were discussing it is that I'd definitely pour another glass if it were served at a party. That's one of my criteria for getting into the 90-93 range. It wasn't fantastic, but it was good and enjoyable with no offensive defects.

I've left these pictures fairly large to ensure that you can see the details (and bottling date).

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2021-01-03 17.11.50.jpg (239.04 KiB) Viewed 8511 times

[Eric Menchen]

... believe all of them use the same weird, squat bottle which is pretty cool.

Until you try to fit one of those in your racks. That one might fit in my cellar, but it might be one that I have to wedge back and forth over the little plastic thing that protects the bottle from scraping on my metal racking.

[Tom Archer]

the little plastic thing that protects the bottle from scraping on my metal racking

I gave up on those in very short order - if you neatly wrap the horizontal metal bar on the rack with a small piece of 2" wide silver duct tape (sometimes marketed as 'Duck' tape) the bottle is protected from scraping and it is also almost invisible.

Small tip: To cut the tape neatly, you need to use scissors, but the glue on the tape quickly fouls them. Have a tin of lighter fuel handy, and put a small squirt on the scissor blades every four or five cuts.

[Glenn E.]

2" wide silver duct tape (sometimes marketed as 'Duck' tape)

Fun fact: this exists.

[Andy Velebil]

I have a stash of these, but haven't opened one for nearly ten years now. Mine were bottled in 1973.

The bottling date is normally in the middle of the label in small black text over the brown label, so easy to miss.

I found it. Mine bottled in 1973. Super weird bottle.

[Tom Archer]

Weird in every respect - the asymmetric bottle shape with it's drip stop flared neck, a tapered cork and a paper thin wax capsule that is prone to cracking and curling (I've re-waxed most of mine)

Whoever designed that was re-inventing the wheel..

[Andy Velebil]

Weird in every respect - the asymmetric bottle shape with it's drip stop flared neck, a tapered cork and a paper thin wax capsule that is prone to cracking and curling (I've re-waxed most of mine)

Whoever designed that was re-inventing the wheel..

I think they used your wax on mine. It’s a massive thick glob of wax (pic doesn’t do it justice).

Maybe they let a young kid into the glass making room and this is the result. Lol.

[Andy Velebil]

It’s been an interesting week to say the least. Lots of Whisky and an emergency pop n pour of a 2005 Cockburn Qta d Canais VP. A tasty and still youthful Port.

[Mike J. W.]

1977 Gould Campbell. Finally, a G.C. that wasn't flawed. It was good, but I prefer the '77 Smith Woodhouse.

I also opened a Quinta da Pacheca 40 y.o. Tawny. It was a little varnishy on the first night, but over the past few days it's opened up.
Great acidity and some nice maple and citrus flavors. I prefer the 20 y.o. over this, but nonetheless, this is good. One glass left for after
dinner tomorrow.

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I meant to add this pic the other day when I mentioned I had opened a Gould Campbell '77. You can clearly see the ridiculously low price the original owner of this bottle paid. Unfortunately I did not win it at auction at that price. It's probably the most insane price I've seen for a vintage Port of very good quality. Has anyone ever paid a lower price for a VP?

[Andy Velebil]

1977 Gould Campbell. Finally, a G.C. that wasn't flawed. It was good, but I prefer the '77 Smith Woodhouse.

I also opened a Quinta da Pacheca 40 y.o. Tawny. It was a little varnishy on the first night, but over the past few days it's opened up.
Great acidity and some nice maple and citrus flavors. I prefer the 20 y.o. over this, but nonetheless, this is good. One glass left for after
dinner tomorrow.

gc.jpg

Oh to pay $13 for a 1977

[Tom Archer]

Oh to pay $13 for a 1977

Got me looking to see the least I've ever paid for a '77..

An odd Dalva was once bought for £10 in 2007, and in 2006 an eight bottle stash of Offley cost me £13.35 each.

Anyway..

Calem '94

First VP of the year. OK, but very young, a bit closed, and not a huge amount of body to it. Come back in ten years - but don't expect too much..

Score 4-6

[Eric Menchen]

Has anyone ever paid a lower price for a VP?

The lowest I've paid was $8 each for a bunch of 375 ml bottles of 1983 Smith Woodhouse. And for a full bottle, I paid $19 for 2000 Delaforce, and $20 for 1994 Quinta do Passadouro, 2004 Quinta da Romaneira, and 2005 Quinta de Roriz.

[Mike J. W.]

Has anyone ever paid a lower price for a VP?

The lowest I've paid was $8 each for a bunch of 375 ml bottles of 1983 Smith Woodhouse. And for a full bottle, I paid $19 for 2000 Delaforce, and $20 for 1994 Quinta do Passadouro, 2004 Quinta da Romaneira, and 2005 Quinta de Roriz.

Great deals!

[Mike J. W.]

Oh to pay $13 for a 1977

Got me looking to see the least I've ever paid for a '77..

An odd Dalva was once bought for £10 in 2007, and in 2006 an eight bottle stash of Offley cost me £13.35 each.

Anyway..

Calem '94

First VP of the year. OK, but very young, a bit closed, and not a huge amount of body to it. Come back in ten years - but don't expect too much..

Score 4-6

Fantastic deals. I'm also a fan of Offley. Inexpensive and they're solid Ports from the few vintages I've had.