Your Crown Jewel?

[Todd Pettinger]

What is the "crown jewel" of your Port collection? (I know, it may be difficult to limit it to just one.... Let's go with a reasonable limit... 3???)

I have two:
1977 Taylor Fladgate VP
-'77 is my wife's birth year and the Taylor is supposed to be very good from that year. Also the bottle is sentimental o me because it was one of the most expensive bottles I ever bought early on in my Port procuring days.

1976 Fonseca Guimaraens VP
-'76 is my birth year and while it was not a good year, one gem that most agree on is the Guimaraens. I had the privilege to try it and found it to be one of the best VPs I have ever tried in my life.

I have some other holders, but these two are, above all else, the ones I treasure most.

Your turn!

[Derek T.]

This bottle of Noval LB is my most treasured possession

[Glenn E.]

I think that would have to be my 1964 Quinta do Noval Nacional, courtesy of one Derek T.

Then there's my other three 1964 VPs - a Fonseca Guimaraens, a Graham's Malvedos, and a Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas.

As far as rare/special goes, I have a 1937 Noval Colheita from the FTLOP purchase and a couple of 1937 Warre Colheitas that I found at auction. Awesome stuff in both cases!

[Todd Pettinger]

This bottle of Noval LB is my most treasured possession

that is a great story Derek, I missed it on your original post during my "recess away from FTLOP" but am glad you referred me back to it.

A trophy bottle to be sure. It is wonderful when something like a bottle can bring back memories of someone beloved in the way your "crown jewel" does for you.

[Al B.]

I have two bottles that I think of as "Crown Jewels"; one is full and one is empty.

The empty bottle is a bottle of Malvedos 1979. This was the first bottle of port that I drank in Portugal. In late August 1993 my wife and I spent a week of holiday on one of the first Douro cruises, when we spent 5 days sailing from Oporto up close to the Spanish border and then back. On the way back, we visited Malvedos and had a guided tour around the vineyard and quinta. At the end of the cruise, we visited the Graham's Lodge and shop. There, in the Lodge shop, were various bottles offered for sale. Having been to Malvedos as part of the holiday it seemed only right to opt for a Malvedos port and the 1979 was the oldest wine offered - so that is what was chosen. That night, the bottle was shared between four people, while sitting on the deck of the cruise ship after our final dinner while admiring the view of a moonlit Vila Nova de Gaia and the Dom Luis bridge under a warm, cloudless sky. That bottle still brings back some wonderful memories of that special holiday.

The other bottle is a bottle of Taylor 1963. I was born in '63. My grandparents - who are now both dead - bought a case and a bottle of Taylor 1963 and had them put in storage. On my 21st birthday, I was given the case and the bottle was opened for my birthday dinner. I was blown away by this wonderful drink and that is what hooked me onto our favourite purple juice. I have only one of those bottles left, and I'm not sure I will ever be able to open it - but if ever I do then I will drink some out of a glass that my grandmother left to me, which her grandmother gave to her with the instruction to "look after it, because it is very old and has been in the family for ever".

I sigh when I think of both of these bottles. Such happy memories...

[Eric Ifune]

Have a single bottle of the 45 Croft. Far and away my precious. Next would be some 63 Taylor.

[Jeff G.]

I actually don't have any =(

my rarest might be the noval 1997.

I had a 1924 taylors, but that was consumed with Julian.

[Roy Hersh]

Port, is very tough to decide. The empty 1863 Ferreira "Vezuvio" is my favorite of all Port bottles, but empty it is ... shared with many a good friend (the majority of whom, post here (or have).

Full bottles? There are rarities that are expensive and really hard to come by but I don't necessarily consider them to be "crown jewels" because they don't have the sentimental value to me, that several bottles of more common and far younger bottles of Ports do. Therefore, I'd probably go with the first and second bottles of Port I ever purchased, that still remain in my cellar today. I've mentioned them many times here so won't bore you.

Now Madeira would be a much easier question to answer.

[Daniel R.]

The bottles of VP from the birth years of my children that I hope to drink with them one day at their wedding!:
2005 (Niepoort)
2007 (Dow's, Niepoort, and Graham's)
2009 (Niepoort so far, looking at Fonseca + Taylor's as well, when available)

[Gary Richardson]

I don't have anything that I would consider a 'crown jewel'.

I have a 1977 Taylor VP (2nd bottle of Vintage Port that I ever bought) that I am holding onto for a while. Not for any sentimental value, I just want to be sure that I drink it at the 'right' time. If I had more than one bottle of it, I would probably drink one now, though.

I have a fair amount of Port that is older than the 1977, but still nothing that I would condiser a crown jewel.

That said, I am quite fond of (and attached to) all of my Port. When everything is special, nothing is special!

-- Gary

[Tom Archer]

I have many nice bottles, but none I would call a 'Crown Jewel'.

In my book, no bottle is too old, too rare, or too precious to be drunk..

- eventually...

Tom

[Todd Pettinger]

In my book, no bottle is too old, too rare, or too precious to be drunk..

- eventually...

Tom

I like this philosophy Tom!

[Andy Velebil]

To me all wine and Port I own is to be drunk, preferably with other wine and/or Port loving friends. Wether that is soon or many years from now really depends on what the bottle is or what I indend to use the bottle for. For example, I have several hard to find older Ports that would be best used to fill in for a verticle of that particular Port and is what I intend to eventually use them for. While others are earmarked for special events or even for certain people at some point in the future. But when it comes to what I think is my Crown Jewel the answer really is none. Port is to be shared with friends

[David Spriggs]

I would definitely drink mine and not hold on to it forever - 1900 Niepoort Colheita. It was hard to obtain and loved drinking the first bottle.
-Dave-

[Frederick Blais]

I have many nice bottles, but none I would call a 'Crown Jewel'.

In my book, no bottle is too old, too rare, or too precious to be drunk..

- eventually...

Tom

I like this too, I buy every bottle to drink them one day. I also have too many great bottles for too few great occasions

For Port, probably a Niepoort Garrafeira 1952 that is going to be drunk to fall for a friend's 40th birthday or Noval Nacional 2003.

For Douro wine, a magnum of Douro Boys 2005 that I don't have the courage yet to open!

[Dries V.]

That would be my 1981 Quinta do Infantado
The only existing VP from my birthyear .
After several years looking for it, I finally received it last week! Sadly I only have 1 bottle, so I now despirately need a 2nd one to

[Moses Botbol]

1985 Hoopers

[Tom Archer]

1985 Hoopers

For why...?

Tom

[Moses Botbol]

1985 Hoopers

For why...?

Tom

To contrast with 85 Croft, my next best one.