What is your Port "cellar defender" ?

[Moses Botbol]

Moses,

I wish I could find that price on the 2005 Dow's LBV. Awesome juice, just love it.

Going there tomorrow to pick up another case (Case No. 4). Costco must've drove a big deal to score so much and so cheap.

[Andrew E]

Man, the 2 Costco's near me must get the short end of the stick.

All I ever see are Fonseca bin 27 and Otima 10 year, not even the Kirkland brand.

[Tito C.]

Hi everyone.

My defense team is the Taylor's LBV, Dow's Single Quinta Vintage 1998 and 1999 (around $33 each!), Quinta do Portal Vintage 1999 (bought for $22 each!!), Quinta do Portal 20 years and the ocasional Barbeito 2000 Madeira.

TC

[Roy Hersh]

Tito,

One of the great values and excellent Ports on the planet is the 1999 Quinta do Portal Vintage Port, that you have mentioned. It is the single Port product which had me initially fall in lust with Portal in 2001 upon its release. It keeps getting better and better, although I've not tasted it since mid-February of this year.

Good to have you posting here and thanks for joining in the fun. We hope to see much more of you, sharing and coming up with brilliant questions!

to !

[Monique Heinemans.]

To be honest, the spring and summer.
It's already about 80 degrees F. around here, so I haven't had a VP in a few weeks now. In springtime and summer I prefer champagne and still wines.

But: do you often drink VP in the spring and summer??

Regards, Monique.

[Eric Menchen]

To be honest, the spring and summer.
It's already about 80 degrees F. around here, so I haven't had a VP in a few weeks now. In springtime and summer I prefer champagne and still wines.

But: do you often drink VP in the spring and summer??

IMHO, a question worthy of its own thread.

[Moses Botbol]

2005 Dow LBV has been this year’s cellar defender. $13 at Costco it’s hard to justify not making it a cellar defender. I can’t think of a better port value at a retail store ever than that… On my third case since the Holidays.

Zoiks! $13 a bottle--that's a great price for a nice, everyday LBV. I got to get to a Costco in Mass!!!

The price went up to $16 which is still decent at Costco

[Todd Pettinger]

Man, i need about a dozen trips to some Costcos and other assorted liquor outlets in the US to get in on some of these deals!\

My current "defenders" were a line of Taylor and Warre LBVs (I like the Warre unfiltered LBVs) and some unfiltered Noval LBVs that I picked up for a really good (by my pathetic standards) price. Sadly, these defenders have been decimated by the invading hordes and are in need of replenishment. I went out the other day looking for just what that would be. I settled on a six-pack of Niepoort Ruby and a couple fo Taylor 2003 (these were found in an absolutely CRAP store... I am sure everything worth drinking in that store is in sad shape with the heat and vertical storage) but they'll do for now.

I started reconsidering my philosophy towards my cellar of late - I decided that I needed to drink less Quantity and more Quality... so I am nervous about some of my sleeping gems... We'll see if they make it through this year's "get back in shape" campaign where I often try to drink less but better quality.

[Roy Hersh]

Has anyone tried the new Cockburn's Special Reserve?

[John M.]

Post by Roy Hersh » Wed May 25, 2011 2:51 pm
Has anyone tried the new Cockburn's Special Reserve?

Yes!! Pretty good and I can sometimes find it for $13-$14. A nice ruby for that price.

[Andy Velebil]

Has anyone tried the new Cockburn's Special Reserve?

I've bought a couple bottles of this in the past year and yes it is FAR, actually FAR, better than it used to be. The Symington's have done a fantastic job of turning this product around.

[Todd Pettinger]

Has anyone tried the new Cockburn's Special Reserve?

I've bought a couple bottles of this in the past year and yes it is FAR, actually FAR, better than it used to be. The Symington's have done a fantastic job of turning this product around.

Wow, that's saying a lot Andy... I may go pick some up. Is there a particular bottling year where it picks up? Just curious as I'm sure there is still a lot of the older, ahem, less desirable, SR kicking around.

[Moses Botbol]

Wow, that's saying a lot Andy... I may go pick some up. Is there a particular bottling year where it picks up? Just curious as I'm sure there is still a lot of the older, ahem, less desirable, SR kicking around.

Are they dated like Tawny bottles?

[Andy Velebil]

Has anyone tried the new Cockburn's Special Reserve?

I've bought a couple bottles of this in the past year and yes it is FAR, actually FAR, better than it used to be. The Symington's have done a fantastic job of turning this product around.

Wow, that's saying a lot Andy... I may go pick some up. Is there a particular bottling year where it picks up? Just curious as I'm sure there is still a lot of the older, ahem, less desirable, SR kicking around.

I don't know when the actual product inside changed in quality, but as long as it's in the new bottle design you should be safe. I was never a fan of this Port in the past and to be honest thought it was pretty horrible. After the Symington's took over running the operations and wine making, and subsequent packaging redesign, I bought a bottle to see if anything had changed inside or if it was just a fancy outside face lift. It was far more than just a face lift, it was a complete make over inside and out. For the price it is a great value and, at least in the USA, very easy to find Port.

Are they dated like Tawny bottles?

To my knowledge, no they are not.

[Moses Botbol]

Do you have a picture of the current bottle?

[Eric Menchen]

The old bottle is rounded, the new is squared off. Old:

New:

[Todd Pettinger]

Thanks for the pics Eric... This is what I was hoping for... The liquor store near my house has these new designs... Was just wondering if the bottle redesign coincided with the juice updates.

I also had the old stuff and believed it to be pretty brutal. A cooking port if ever there was...

[Roy Hersh]

Well regardless of what USED to be inside, it was the number one selling Port in the world.

I love what is now in the bottle. Not a fan of the squared off shoulders, but I do like the new label and the clear bottle will allow it to stand out. Not sure why the square shoulders, but whatever. I am happy with what's inside and ultimately, that is all that really counts.

[Todd Pettinger]

Well regardless of what USED to be inside, it was the number one selling Port in the world.

I love what is now in the bottle. Not a fan of the squared off shoulders, but I do like the new label and the clear bottle will allow it to stand out. Not sure why the square shoulders, but whatever. I am happy with what's inside and ultimately, that is all that really counts.

Every time I hear a statement like that Roy, i can't help think "yes, but the French drink an awful lot of cheap, sweet, high-alcohol crap, which my opinion may have put the older Cockburn SR in that category.

I actually quite like the squared look - perhaps they revamped the bottle dramatically because they knew the product was a dramatic difference from the old?

Regardless, we both agree that what is inside is what counts and we both like it!!,

[Roy Hersh]

This is not a new shape for Port. Years ago Noval did this with "Raven" IIRC, and also Porto Solene, along with one or two others.