Port Suggestions for around $20-$30

[Scott Vinieratos]

I have recently found the "love of port"! I am looking to expand my palette with some $20 to $30 bottles of port. I am purchasing a Quinta do Noval Porto Ruby based on Eric's recommendation but I am greatly open to other recommendations!

Thanks!

[Glenn E.]

There are a lot of good LBVs (Late Bottled Vintage Ports) in the $20-$30 range... some are even cheaper.

I like the 2003 Taylor Fladgate LBV for an easy, smooth drinker. It is a filtered LBV so it's not meant for aging, and it's usually around $20.

I also like the 2004 Niepoort LBV. I don't believe it is filtered because it feels somewhat coarser in the mouth, so it would probably age well for 5-10 years. It drinks very well right now, though, so no need to lay it down unless you want to. I can usually find it for around $24 here.

[Andy Velebil]

Scott,
thanks for posting your question here, this group will have you spending money on Port in no time flat :help:
Here are a quick few off the top of my head...more to come.

The Warre's LBV's are generally in the mid $20's and offer very good drinking and come with some age on them already.

The 2003 Niepoort LBV is a rock star if you can find it and it goes for less than $20/bottle.

Love the Niepoort 10 Year Old Tawny Port. Will be in the 28-32 range, but worth it.

also like the Graham's Six Grapes for a good daily drinker that is easy to find in most markets.

[Scott Vinieratos]

Thanks for the quick replies! I have noticed the Fonseca Bin 27 port listed quite a bit around this price point.

My question is - how do you tell when it was bottled? How can you tell if you have one that is bottled in say 2005 versus 2009?

Oh, and I live in NYC and the prices in the some of the liquor stores are quite high with small selections. Can anyone recommend a good store in the city?

[Andy Velebil]

Thanks for the quick replies! I have noticed the Fonseca Bin 27 port listed quite a bit around this price point.

My question is - how do you tell when it was bottled? How can you tell if you have one that is bottled in say 2005 versus 2009?

Oh, and I live in NYC and the prices in the some of the liquor stores are quite high with small selections. Can anyone recommend a good store in the city?

Bin 27 is a good Port, my boss loves it and drinks tons of it. Many of us here prefered it a number of years ago before a slight stylistic change was made to it. I prefer the Six Grapes to Bin 27, but IIRC the Six Grapes is a buck or two more.

Bin 27 and Six Grapes are "Reserve Rubies" and these types of Port don't list the bottling dates, along with other "lower" categories. Most stores turn over their stock relatively quickly so it generally isn't worried about.

Don't live in NY so can't help you there...but I'm sure someone here can.

[Eric Menchen]

NYC eh? If you search online (e.g. http://www.wine-searcher.com/) you'll get lots of hits for stores in NJ. I don't know if any of them are worth a trip for browsing, but they certainly have good prices. Of course I knew that from when I went to school in Philly. When I've searched, Cabrini Wines has also come up a few times, so they must have a few good prices. Apparently they are in NYC and deliver in Manhattan for free if you order more than $125. Ah, just noticed this: "Web sale pricing reflects warehouse stock and is not available in our 181st Street store." Just glancing through their Ports, these two caught my eye
Churchill Porto Late Bottled Vintage 1994 - On Sale $20.57
J.W. Burmester Porto Vintage 1994 - On Sale $33.69
I've never had either, but I've had some other Burmesters that make me want to try that one. 1994 might be before Churchill got things running well, but at that price I would gamble on one.

I've never bought from Cabrini. I have happily bought from Planet of Wine and Wine Chateau, both of which I think are in NJ. I don't know if they have a retail presence or not.

Where in NYC? My wife used to live next to Inwood Hill Park. She might know of some place up there, although it was a few years ago.

[Scott Vinieratos]

I actually live in Washington Heights near the Cabrini Wines retail store. I find that the Cabrini wines website has a good selection however I find that I can never get everything I want there and have to shop elsewhere for certain wine producers. The store is sometimes quite a bit higher than online as well.

I work near the Flatiron building as well.

I will grab those two you mentioned and try them out.

[Scott Vinieratos]

one other thing.. I see Dow quite often in stores but I haven't seen it mentioned here too much.. is it something to stay away from?

[Andy Velebil]

one other thing.. I see Dow quite often in stores but I haven't seen it mentioned here too much.. is it something to stay away from?

Across the board Dow's makes some very nice Ports. so don't shy away from them.

[Scott Vinieratos]

I ended up purchasing the following from empirewine.com:

Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port 1995
Quinta do Noval LB Finest Reserve Porto NV

I also picked up a Fonseca Porto Bin 27 last night and had the following notes from the first night:

1st night - Very dark color - inky. I smell blueberries and a faint hint of menthol/Vicks. I taste blueberries on the front, with nuttiness and licorice on the end. The flavor last for quite a while and I like this port. However, I do smell the alcohol and taste the hotness (not sure if this is common in port). After an hour, I smelled a little molasses and it was a little spicy.

[Jonathan S]

Bin 27 is a good Port, my boss loves it and drinks tons of it. Many of us here prefered it a number of years ago before a slight stylistic change was made to it. I prefer the Six Grapes to Bin 27, but IIRC the Six Grapes is a buck or two more.

Andy,

+1 on the Bin 27... For the money, it is quite nice! I also like Six Grapes, but, for me, the Bin 27 just edges it out.

[Eric Menchen]

I'm waiting to hear from Scott on that Noval Finest Reserve. Somehow I've missed tasting that one, even after visiting their tasting room in VNdG.

[Scott Vinieratos]

So, I have this Fonseca Bin 27 opened but is there any reason not to open a different brand to get the flavor/style difference? Say the Graham's Six Grapes? Also, should I keep the opened bottles in the fridge or no?

[Jonathan S]

So, I have this Fonseca Bin 27 opened but is there any reason not to open a different brand to get the flavor/style difference? Say the Graham's Six Grapes? Also, should I keep the opened bottles in the fridge or no?

Hi, Scott!

I would definitely recommend that you open up a bottle of Six Grapes so as to compare and contrast it with the Fonseca Bin 27. (If you are new to port, I strongly encourage you to do so, for this will help you to grow in your knowledge and appreciation.) For me, part of the fun of port is comparing and contrasting different bottles, and, because of this, I generally keep several bottles of port open at any given time.

As to storage, because I don't really have a lot of port drinking friends who live near me, I store my opened ports in the fridge. (I use a vacuum pump, too, even though some say that it doesn't make any difference.) Lower temperatures help to slow down the aging process, and, because it generally takes me a month to finish off each bottle, any retardation of the aging process is helpful. If, on the other hand, I knew I would finish off a bottle within a few days, I would probably leave it at room temperature, for it is nice to be able to pour a glass that is instantly ready to be enjoyed. (I prefer port at about 68 degrees.)

I hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing the opinions of some of the seniors members of this board--men who are much more knowledgeable than I.

[Andy Velebil]

Jonathan summed it up quiet nicely what he said.

[Jonathan S]

Jonathan summed it up quiet nicely what he said.

Muito obrigado, Andy!

[Ronald Wortel]

That Smith Woodhouse LBV is very nice!

Also, you could do worse than buy the Burmester 1994 VP. It's a good port for the price, and starting to drink very nicely now.

When we were in NYC last month we noticed several shops that carried Martinez 1997 VP, that was around $20. That's a very good price for what is likely going to be a nice VP for drinking on the short term.

[Scott Vinieratos]

Thanks guys, I will grab a bottle of Six Grapes and do a taste test.

I was at a party over the weekend and brought a bottle of Taylor Fladgates 2003 LBV. I REALLY enjoyed this port - way much more that the Fonseca Bin 27. I found the 2003 LBV to be very smooth and tasty.

We let it air for about four hours and there was none of the "heat" that the Fonseca had even after 4 days open. For the price point, $24 vs $20 - I will pick up the 2003 LBV over the Fonseca any day of the week.

[Scott Vinieratos]

So, after 4 days the Fonseca has seemed to die.... is that possible? The flavor is heavily - alcoholy - and nearly overpowers the other flavors.

[Glenn E.]

Scott,

Fonseca bin 27 shouldn't die after 4 days. It can change pretty significantly over time, but my guess is that it's just entering a phase and will change again (hopefully for the better!) in the next couple of days. My parents like bin 27 and have been known to to keep bottles in their liquor cabinet for a month or more after opening.

Storage conditions do affect even ruby reserves, though, so if the bottle was improperly stored before you bought it there is a chance that it won't get better. That's just the way things go with wines, Port included.