1944 Real Companhia Vinicola do Norte Colheita?

[Espen S.]

I found this wine in a local store, and I've tried searching for info, but the employees know nothing, and the internet doesn't offer much help. Have any of you heard of this one? Apart from a few Madeiras, this has to be the oldest wine available in the country. I almost bought one, but I'd like to know a little more first.

[Dries V.]

I found this wine in a local store, and I've tried searching for info, but the employees know nothing, and the internet doesn't offer much help. Have any of you heard of this one? Apart from a few Madeiras, this has to be the oldest wine available in the country. I almost bought one, but I'd like to know a little more first.

I suspect a Colheita. Check below link. Out of curiosity, what are they asking for it?
https://www.garrafeiranacional.com/port ... d_pt_3217/

[Rune EG]

Hi Espen!

I was in the same store of the wine monopoly last Thursday and checked one of the 6-7 bottles there at the time. Decided not to buy as it was very long time since it was bottled. If I am not having wrong memory it was back in the seventies. May be it was a wrong decision not to buy. Curious to read other comments that other FTLOP-members may have.

According to Wine-Searcher it is for sale in the Philippines for USD 1250, so may be we we should buy one each for USD 160 here in Norway and have a holiday in the Philippines?

[Espen S.]

I don't remember the bottling date, but it sure was a old and dusty bottle. But looks in good shape, at least. I'm not ready to pay that kind of money for a bottle I know nothing about. A bit risky.

Btw Rune, are you the SOAB who bought all the 1965 Malvedos??

[Rune EG]

No, did not buy any Malvedos 1965.

You can see the list of what I purchased at the Vika Monopoly wine shop in a post I made a few days ago under "What ports have you purchased this week".

[Al B.]

Gents,

This is a Royal Oporto colheita. I have no idea what it would taste like, but Royal Oporto made some decent colheitas in that period.

Alex

[Gary Richardson]

The 1944 Royal Oporto Colheita is quite good. I have had it twice: one glass at a Port bar in NYC and one bottle that I purchased the next day for $160 USD. I do not recall the bottling date on mine, but I am almost certain that it was after 2000 and I drank it in 2006.

For the right price, I highly recommend this one. It is one of the best Colheitas that I have had.

-- Gary

[Espen S.]

Thanks for the info, gents!

The comes the question; is it worth it? If only for the sake of drinking an ancient wine? The oldest I've had is from 1980

[Glenn E.]

The comes the question; is it worth it? If only for the sake of drinking an ancient wine? The oldest I've had is from 1980

For $160? Absolutely!

We had a 1953 Royal Oporto Colheita at Roy's 2009 Port Gala. That particular bottle had something weird going on. The nose smelled like tennis shoe rubber to me, but the flavor was wonderful. If the nose had even been merely average, that Port might have been my Port of the Weekend. And we had some absolutely fabulous Ports that weekend, so that's saying quite a lot.

We also had a 1944 Royal Oporto that arrived late and so hadn't been decanted properly, but even so I gave it a star at the time. (I wasn't rating Port back then, and a star meant either the winner of a flight or something I'd want to buy if I could find it.) My tasting note for it is here.

[Gary Richardson]

Espen S. wrote:
The comes the question; is it worth it? If only for the sake of drinking an ancient wine? The oldest I've had is from 1980

For $160? Absolutely!

Agreed. For $160USD, this is definitely worth the price.

-- Gary