1963 Quinta do Noval grants of st James

[Terry C]

I would like to value this Porto anyone have some advice ?

[John M.]

Hi Terry;

There are a lot of "depends" variables an value from what point of view is the first.

Buying: $275 or so without shipping (see wine-searcher).
Selling to an Auction House/Wine Broker: 50% more or less
What is the provenance (history of ownership and storage)?

If you really want to sell, tell us your approximate location. There are those here that love to buy.

[Andy Velebil]

As mentioned, a lot of variables. While '63 is a good year, the regular Noval from this year is only average in quality, so it doesn't attract top prices like some others. Auction is a bit hard right now, as prices seem to be all over the map at the moment, but somewhere around the $120-150 range for a well stored and good fill bottle with no signs of seepage.

If you're looking to sell....Private party sell is generally going to be less than what retail/auction is. So that will affect the value as well.

[Mike J. W.]

To add on to what John and Andy said, what's the condition of the bottle itself? Is the cork protruding? Is the capsule corroded or practically gone?
What's the fill level on the bottle (into the neck? base of the neck? top shoulder? etc)? Has it been stored in your grandpa's hot attic for the last 40 years? Things like that could have a real impact on the condition of your bottle and it's salability.

[Glenn E.]

Quinta do Noval is a high-profile producer.
1963 is a high-profile year.
Grants of St. James' is a high-profile English bottler.

Sounds like a win-win-win, right?

Unfortunately it isn't. For a few reasons, Quinta do Noval's 1963 Vintage Port does not live up to the reputations of either the producer or the year. As Andy said, it's just an average Port. Tasty, yes, but given the name and the year it's not at all what you might expect.

Note that this combination of factors only applies to the regular 1963 Quinta do Noval. The 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional is spectacular and a good bottle is worth north of $4,000.

So... value. In a store where some unsuspecting customer looking for a gift might stroll by and pick it up, unaware of the history, it might be worth $275-$300. A particularly conniving store might line it up in a display next to Dow, Fonseca, Graham, Taylor, et al and price it similarly even though it is nowhere near the same quality as those others. (Those others typically range from $275 to $350 if priced competitively.)

There's one available at auction right now (winebid.com) for $190. That's too high for me for this wine or I'd have already bid on that lot. I agree with Andy's estimate of $120 to $150, depending on the condition of the bottle. To get $150 it would have to be pristine, with a fill level well into the neck, and known provenance during which it has been cared for and stored appropriately. With unknown provenance... I don't know, I might pay $100 if the bottle otherwise looks good?

And that would only be from a store or an auction house where I might have some recourse if the bottle proved to be faulty in some way. From a private party... very hard to say, but you're probably looking at a best case of $100 and I'd be more likely to pay $75 or $80.