Mystery Port: Rozes Prince Henry Super Dry

[Richard Jennings]

Anyone encountered this beast before? K&L had an odd, old looking bottle for sale this weekend, and I couldn't resist. I'm guessing it's a white port, but it could be a very dry tawny. I've looked through all my Port books and searched online and can't find a reference to this bottling anywhere.

Here's my TN:
11/8/2011 rated 92 points: From 739.34 ml (1 pint, 9 fl oz.) - medium orange with 1.5 millimeter clear meniscus and golden and orange lights; baked orange, VA, orange cream, light almond nose; very smooth, silky textured, mature, mellow, baked orange, almond, lightly honeyed, orange marmalade palate; long finish

And here's a picture:

[Glenn E.]

Very cool! I does sound an awful lot like a white Port based on your note. My guess would be a basic white or reserve white, as that's the same (or a similar) style of bottle they use for the red/white/gold (10yr tawny) Ports.

[Moses Botbol]

Typical style bottle for Rozes port. Quite popular in my parts, especially in the lower end liquor stores.

[Eric Menchen]

Looks like that bottle has been around for a while (not by Port standards, but in general). Was there any sort of bottling date to be found on the label?

[Richard Jennings]

Eric,
This bottle has definitely been around for awhile. There's quite a bit of black sediment at the bottom of the bottle, it appears to be a minimum of 30 years old, but more likely 40 or more. Unfortunately nothing in the way of a date anywhere. The best clue is the label indicating it was a Stuart Imports Ltd. import (sole agents Western U.S.A.). Stuart seems to have gone out of business sometime after 1979. I can find them in SF phone books from 1968 to 1978, and there are mentions on auctioned wines, going back to the '30s, that they were the importers. As best I can tell, they went out of business by the early '80s, meaning this bottle is at least 30 years old--probably older.

[Tom D.]

The best part of the story is that you actually went home and DRANK it! A refreshing change from the buy-then-wait-for-an-occasion syndrome we all suffer from too often. Nice job.

[Lamont Huxley]

The best part of the story is that you actually went home and DRANK it! A refreshing change from the buy-then-wait-for-an-occasion syndrome we all suffer from too often. Nice job.

Haha, very true. I believe the port should create the occasion, not the other way around.