Proper prep for drinking a vintage port

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Robert O.
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Proper prep for drinking a vintage port

Post by Robert O. »

Today, the first VPs I have ordered arrived via 1 day overnight mail. I would like to try some of them but I am wondering how to properly prepare them for drinking when I am ready. So, over the last few weeks of reading posts, doing research, etc. I have pieced the following info together. Please tell me where I go wrong...

1. store ports in a temperature and humidity controlled storage unit of some kind.

2. a few(?) weeks prior to wanting to drink port store vertically to let the sediment sinkto the bottom. (where should this be stored vertically?)

3. when ready to drink, decant into decanter. if opening a 750ml bottle may want to move half into a 350ml and stopper. taste over next few days to see how evolves (or drink it all immediately!)
Todd Pettinger
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Re: Proper prep for drinking a vintage port

Post by Todd Pettinger »

Sorry "Spartacus" I know you have posted your name here in a previous post, I just don't recall what it is and it isn't on the profile...

Anyway...
spartacus111 wrote:1. store ports in a temperature and humidity controlled storage unit of some kind.
Absolutely!
spartacus111 wrote:2. a few(?) weeks prior to wanting to drink port store vertically to let the sediment sinkto the bottom. (where should this be stored vertically?)
I think a week would even be considered overkill. I have heard 24-48 hours is optimal. At a week or two the sediment would surely be well packed onto the bottom, which may make decanting easier if you are doing it without the aid of a funnel/muslin or filter. I am note sure if it would alter the end result of the port.
I'm sure a few of the more experienced guys will chime in here, so we can learn together about that!
spartacus111 wrote: 3. when ready to drink, decant into decanter. if opening a 750ml bottle may want to move half into a 350ml and stopper. taste over next few days to see how evolves (or drink it all immediately!)
Yes. It is not necessary to split into a 375 unless you will be the only one drinking and may want to keep the second "half" for a wee bit later. My own experiment with this split recently yielded identical results for the port, by the hour (both wines reacted the same way after similar decanting times.) I imagine that most would agree - all into a single decanter! Watch the wine evolve, even if you don't drink the decanter all in 1/2 days.

I'll add #4 - ENJOY 8) :D :winebath: and #5 Post Tasting Note on forum! :type: :)

Todd
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Al B.
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Post by Al B. »

Todd is spot on with his suggestions, although I would add two observations:

(1) If you can wait, give your bottles 2-3 weeks to recover from the trauma of travelling before you open them.

(2) I often stand my bottles up (in the cellar) for a couple of months before opening them. It doesn't seem to do them any harm.

Alex
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Post by Guest »

If you are decanting the bottle and pouring it back into the rinsed out bottle, why bother leaving it upright? I can see leaving the bottle upright just for looks in the cellar, but what does one gain by leaving it upright if the bottle is getting rinsed out anyway?
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Al B.
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Post by Al B. »

Moses,

I only leave the bottles standing a couple of months in the cellar before opening them through a combination of laziness or fickleness. I might take a bottle of, say, Warre '83 and think to myself "I'll open this next". We then have a discussion about the next virtual tasting and I end up buying a couple of bottles of 1987 port and stand those in front of the Warre to allow those to settle.

I'm then in London with 30 minutes to spare between meetings and pop into a wine shop. They have a few bottles of interest and I buy a 1988 Vargellas and a 1988 Guimaraens for immediate drinking. I stand those up in front of the 1987s for a few days while finishing a bottle of red wine that the wife happened to buy.

I then go away for a week, come back and start to work through the bottles standing up. As I only drink one bottle of port a week and have 5 bottles waiting, its probably 6-7 weeks before I get back to the Warre - and that's assuming that I don't change my mind and add anything to the waiting list!

Alex
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Post by Guest »

bridgema wrote:
I only leave the bottles standing a couple of months in the cellar before opening them through a combination of laziness or fickleness.
OK, that is more on the lines of why would leave a bottle upright too. I usually just have 5-6 bottles in my wine fridge at a time and the stock is in my parents' basement.
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Tom Archer
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Post by Tom Archer »

I often stand my bottles up (in the cellar) for a couple of months before opening them. It doesn't seem to do them any harm.
I do much the same thing - I call it 'death row'

The bottles sometimes get a stay, but rarely a reprieve :twisted:

Tom
Moses Botbol
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Post by Moses Botbol »

uncle tom wrote: I do much the same thing - I call it 'death row'

The bottles sometimes get a stay, but rarely a reprieve :twisted:

Tom
That is too funny...
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Derek T.
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Post by Derek T. »

Kirk (in the absence of a real name),

Whilst I agree with my friends about the notion of standing bottles up for days/weeks/months prior to opening there is another technique you need to e familar with. It is know as the Emergency Decant Procedure. This can be required in a number of different circumstances but the technique is always the same.

1. Establish that there is an immediate need to open a bottle of VP that is lying down in your cellar.

2. Remove the bottle carefully and turn to an upright position in one slow movement.

3. Stand the bottle near to where it will be decanted and leave for between 5 minutes and 1 hour deending on age (old bottles generally need longer than young ones)

4. Place a funnel in the top of your decanter with either a stainless steel high qualiy filter or some unbleached gauze.

5. Open the bottle carefully

6. Decant slowly, not worrying too much about the crust that is collecting in the filter/gauze

7. Carry on as normal from this point pretending that you had given the wine the respect it deserves 8)

Derek

PS: Not recomended for great old or hideously expensive wines but works a treat on most of what a normal person would have in their cellar.
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Alan C.
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Post by Alan C. »

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Kirk.....funny one. Once I'd got Captain out of my head, Kirk Douglas was funny.
Robert O.
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Post by Robert O. »

Thanks, everyone. This has been very helpful.

One last question: does the decanter matter in terms of the enjoyment of the VP and the length of time it survives in the decanter?

Bob
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Derek T.
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Post by Derek T. »

Welcome Bob,


I don't think the decanter matters much so long as it isn;t one of those tall modern ones that leave no surface area for the wine to breathe. Any traditional decanter shape will do.

Derek

PS: someone will soon chip in with a "don't use lead crystal because it will poison you" claim. Relax, it's not an issue.
Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

Derek Turnbull wrote:PS: someone will soon chip in with a "don't use lead crystal because it will poison you" claim. Relax, it's not an issue.
I'm banking on the fact that all the lead has already been leached out of the lead crystal decanter that I was given (well-used) by my parents when they discovered my affinity to port! :D
(I'm not worried in any case either!) 8)

Todd
Robert O.
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Post by Robert O. »

Question: should the decanted wine be left out at room temperature, stored at a wine celler temp (57 degrees or so), or left in a refrigerator?

Thanks!
Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

I typically bring mine up from Death Row (props to Tom for the name, which I have adopted!) in the basement, open, decant and leave at room temperature. This may not be precisely correct... I await further instructions from overseas where the real VP experts are! ;)

Todd
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Tom Archer
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Post by Tom Archer »

Both before and after decanting, keep your wine 'cellar cool'.

I am pretty certain that much of the lore surrounding port not keeping well in decanter is down to it getting too warm.

Tom
Moses Botbol
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Post by Moses Botbol »

uncle tom wrote:Both before and after decanting, keep your wine 'cellar cool'.

I am pretty certain that much of the lore surrounding port not keeping well in decanter is down to it getting too warm.

Tom
I don't like to drink my port at room temp, so I try to never let it get there. 5-10 degrees F lower than room temperature is just perfect to bring out the flavor without the heat.
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Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

Moses Botbol wrote:I don't like to drink my port at room temp, so I try to never let it get there. 5-10 degrees F lower than room temperature is just perfect to bring out the flavor without the heat.
The two ports I have tried at less than room temperature conditions have both shown less fire and a greater deal of smoothness than many of those that have been brought up to room temperature, so there is definitely some wisdom to this.

Todd
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