Bottle opening second opinions on my little collection

[Louis Garon]

Hi,

I'm 35 years old and I really like port wine since I'm 20. I traveled to Portugal in 2015 to taste port wines and to get some knowledge about it. Since a couple of years, I got more budget to spend on vintage bottles but I live in Quebec/Canada so the taxes are high and the products, very limited.

A few years ago, I began to register the bottles I got on CellarTracker. Today, I got some questions for the forum, which I think can better be answered by the community. Down below, you guys can see what I got in my cellar now. Here are the questions, and feel free to comment on other wines I own :

1- I got a bottle of Quinta do Tedo Vintage 2000, but there is no comments or drink dates for that port. Can you give me suggestions?;
2- With the LBV port wines, they really don't last long before I need to open them?;
3- On the 2022 holidays, I plan to open a Boa Vista 1995 with a friend. Should I keep it and open another one instead so the Boa Vista will get better later?;
4- (non port wine related) : I got a Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 2012. Will it get better past 2031 or it will turn vineagar?;
5- During my trip in Portugal in 2015, I stopped at Graham's cellar to buy a 2011 Quinta do Vesivio. CellarTracker suggest me to open the bottle before 2047. Could it last longer before I open it?

Thanks and again, feel free to comment on the bottles I got in my cellar!

https://www.linkpicture.com/view.php?im ... 1739972050

[Lucas S]

Since nobody answered, I'll take a stab at these.

1. Don't know about Tedo, but most 2000 ports can use a few more years of cellar time at least, I had three recently in a horizontal and they all had runway. One (the Warre's) needed lots more time.
2. LBVs vary quite a bit. The main generalization that can be made is that the unfiltered ones are made to be aged, up to 10-25 years. Whereas the filtered ones largely should not be. That said, they both will "last" a long time, as in, they're not going to go bad anytime soon but the filtered, thin, less acidic, and less tannic ones may gradually decline in flavor after several years. Conversely, the really beefy tannic LBVs will benefit from several years in bottle. What I've been doing is running side by side tastings to work out which ones I should be aging and which are good for drinking soon and go from there.
3. My understanding is that Offley is fairly approachable, and the 1995s should not be as burly and durable as the 1994s; there may be some room for improvement but at 27 years you are in the drinking window now. Feel free to open it and enjoy it.
4. No idea. Will just say that maturity level is a personal preference as to what you enjoy, I'd be careful with this idea of "better past 2031." Some people enjoy younger, bolder, fruitier wine, while other people don't and prefer more mature, smoother, and complex wine. While most Vintage Ports will readily improve after 20 years, very few regular wines will.
5. If you're asking whether a 2011 Vesuvio will be good to drink at 36 years (22 years from now), it should be glorious. It should very well last longer than that in flavor but I doubt it will last that long in your cellar!

[Eric Ifune]

Tedo should be drinking well now, but will improve a few more years and hold longer than that.
The main rule with LBV's is that unfiltered, sometimes labeled as "traditional," can be aged. 10-20+ years depending on vintage and producer. Filtered versions really don't improve all that much.
The 2011 Vesuvio is a great wine and will age a long time. The 1994 is not ready yet.

[LOUISSS J]

1- I don't know Tedo that well but based on comments from Cellertracker and here on the forum this Porto seems to be mature around 20 years old so without rushing I wouldn't wait too long.
2- For the LBV I would say what was said before. For 4 or 5 years I am currently doing my little tests. You can buy more bottles and open one every 4 or 5 years.
3- For Boa Vista I can't help you. On the other hand, from what I see in the comments on different Vintages, this Porto seems to last a long time. It would probably be very good now but if you like your Ports more mature I advise you to wait for other advice.
4- For Chateau Ampuis it will probably be good in 2031. Like Lucas said it depends how you like your wine but Ampuis is usually able to last more than 20 years. I don't know much about the 2012 vintage but the vintage doesn't seem bad for aging for this type of wine. In addition, according to the comments of professionals, this wine can last 20 years +. I drank a 2010 (aged) last year and it was excellent and in great shape. Too old (even if still good) is not necessarily beneficial.
5- Don't Worry about the Vesuvio. It can last for 30 or 40 years+ easily. But why wait?

Bonnes dégustations!

[Eric Menchen]

Lots of good replies here, so I won't cover your numbered questions.

I will say that I like drinking mature wines and find the recommended drinking windows on CellarTracker to be too young and pessimistic, and just terrible for Port. Sure, a poorly stored bottle of any wine will taste past its prime in short order, but a properly stored bottle can be great well after people on CellarTracker think you should drink it.

[Louis Garon]

Thanks a lot guys for the comments! I took notes carefully and I will follow your recommandations :)

[Moses Botbol]

Your Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 2012 for sure will make it 20 years. You'd be hard pressed to find any Côte-Rôtie that was past at 20 years. Yours will be a hoot to drink whenever that occasion comes!

[Louis Garon]

Your Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 2012 for sure will make it 20 years. You'd be hard pressed to find any Côte-Rôtie that was past at 20 years. Yours will be a hoot to drink whenever that occasion comes!

I think you are right! The bottle is a vintage 2012 so it is young and I'll keep it. Unfortunately, the prices bumped a lot! When I bought it in 2017 at the SAQ in Quebec, it was 160$ and now it is 190$ for a 2017.

Thanks for the comment!

[Moses Botbol]

I think you are right! The bottle is a vintage 2012 so it is young and I'll keep it. Unfortunately, the prices bumped a lot! When I bought it in 2017 at the SAQ in Quebec, it was 160$ and now it is 190$ for a 2017.

Thanks for the comment!

Do you shop in NH or MA for wine ever? A lot less expensive.