Port - homework assignment

[Roy Hersh]

In what year was the very first Vintage Port produced?

What French wine was the first bottled with a vintage date and how long before/after Port did this take place?

[Andy Velebil]

In what year was the very first Vintage Port produced?

I'm game for a bit of digging!!

Well, foke-lore says in 1678 two Liverpool wine merchants found the Abbot of Lamego Monastery adding brandy during fermentation, killing the yeast, and leaving residual grape sugar. The first known port, or an old wise tale?????

The first mention of port being sold was a 1765 vintage that Christie's sold in 1773. That being said, Sandeman claims it sold the first port in 1790.

Am I close?

As for the second part, I need to do some more digging. I'll have to get back to you on that one

[Frederick Blais]

from http://www.dourowine.com

1675- first consignment to Holland, where the original name “Port Wine” becomes the official designation, immediately gaining prestige and respect.

1678- two young Englishmen export a wine from Pinhão to England, to which small quantities of aguardente (brandy) are added (13 to 18 litres), becoming known as “Port” wine. The first records from the Porto Customs House are for 408 barrels to England.

[Andy Velebil]

Remains of stone treading tanks and casks dating back at least to the 3rd and 4th centuries can be found throughout the region. The designation Port Wine, however, only appears during the second half of the 17th century at a time of the expansion of Douro viticulture and rapid growth in wine exports.

From IVDP's web site

[Derek T.]

In what year was the very first Vintage Port produced?

1775

What French wine was the first bottled with a vintage date and how long before/after Port did this take place?

12 years after - Chateau Lafite 1787

Both from Vintage Port by James Suckling

Derek

[Steven Kooij]

"First" VP: 1765 - sold at Christie's in 1773. (Mayson)

"First" vintage dated Bordeaux: 1784 - Lafite, Margaux, Mouton, d'Yquem, as found in the "Rodenstock cellar". (Robinson)

[Roy Hersh]

We have a winner and I am not at all surprised it is Steven K. He has proven himself to be a worthy historian of Port in past threads.

Christie's did in fact have the bottle of 1765 which appeared in their 1773 catalog. It is discussed in numerous books. Besides Mayson's word, I have not seen any mention that the bottle actually sold and that includes former auctioneer and Director of Christie's, Michael Broadbent.

However, the brilliant English author, H. Warner Allen mentions in his book, THE HISTORY OF WINE (1952): the year 1775 is, "the first vintage worthy of being called a Vintage Port."

Numerous Shippers have 1779 as their oldest Vintage recorded as being sold as Vintage Port.

In VINTATE WINE, Broadbent mentions a 1727 German Rudesheimer Apostelwein but this was not in bottle. However, he also mentions "the first 'vintage' of any wine to appear in a wine catalogue was the 1748, at Christie's in 1772."

Not trying to be deceptive, but I clearly stated: FRENCH wine in the original post.

Steven Kooij has also received top honors in completing his homework assignment accurately with the 1784 Bordeaux vintage (the year that thomas Jefferson was appointed as Minister to France and purchased bought cases of Chateau Lafite, one of which was opened in 1988; and Margaux, WS owner M. Shanken's half bottle was tasted & recorked in 1987 two hundred years after it was first purchased by Jefferson in 1787.

[Steven Kooij]

Hurray! What did I win? :)

Some thoughts on old wine:
- There is now some discussion about whether the "Jefferson bottles" are genuine; I recall reading an article which stated that while the contents of one bottle was indeed old, it was by no means a 17something...more likely to be a 1900.
- A bottle of the 1729 Apostelwein was sold recently at Christie's Amsterdam for about 5.500 Euros...but it is NOT a true vintage wine - it is a solera-type, started in 1729.

So what IS the oldest true vintage-dated wine in the world that's available for sale? I think it's a 1715 Vintage Terrantez Madeira...

[Andy Velebil]

Wait, don't I get 1/2 credit for my answer, I want it, I want it, I want it