20 Year Tawny Horizontal

[Andy Velebil]

Is it being proposed that we have a world-wide tasting like we did with the Reserve Rubies back in March.If so, when? (Around International port Day 2.0?)

Hmm, now you're talking.

[Glenn E.]

Is it being proposed that we have a world-wide tasting like we did with the Reserve Rubies back in March.If so, when? (Around International port Day 2.0?)

Hmm, now you're talking.

I think we should!

Even if there us no #PortDay 2013 we could do it ourselves around the same time. I'd happily host one in Seattle!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Phyllis D]

Is it being proposed that we have a world-wide tasting like we did with the Reserve Rubies back in March.If so, when? (Around International port Day 2.0?)

While this was initially just a way to gather people in the Northern CA area to learn more about and enjoy Port, going international would not be wrong in any way shape or form.
Our planed date for this event was the 3rd or 4th weekend of October. Why mid October?

• Summer travel is over
  Doesn’t compete with a holiday
  Starting to get chilly
  Far enough away from the 2nd Annual Port Day to not interfere with it
  Gather more people to participate in the 2nd Annual Port Day

[John M.]

What exactly is the official list? 1-4 seem solid below, but what about 5-6?.

1. Ferreira
2. Niepoort
3. Sandeman
4. Taylor

Possible 5 & 6
Ramos Pinto-Qta do Bom Retiro
Portal
Grahams
Villar d'Allen
Burmester
Noval

For whatever its worth Quevedo Villar d"Allen and Burmester are hard to get per wine searcher.

Thanks--date of Mid to late October is great==we're scheduled to meet on the 19th anyway.

[Glenn E.]

I think the list looks more like this:

1. Ferreira
2. Ramos Pinto Q.d. Bom Retiro
3. Sandeman
4. Niepoort

Taylor
Grahams
Noval
Portal

Villar d'Allen
Burmester

I think the Bom Retiro needs to be included in the tasting. It's one of the best readily available 20-yr olds in the US, if not the best. (I know, I know, everyone else likes the Ferreira. Shush, you.)

The last two are great, but really hard to find so not really appropriate for a tasting that's intended to be replicated in many places. You're just asking for variation between sites if you include those two. The Niepoort can be hard enough to find, so let's keep the challenge of putting this together as low as possible. (Speaking just from a US perspective.)

Between Graham, Noval, Portal, and Taylor I would personally choose Graham and Noval. But Taylor is also a good option. I tend to break with others here in that I don't think Portal is on the same level as the others being discussed. It tends to be good QPR, but that's generally because it's significantly less expensive than the others.

[John M.]

OK--I thought we liked Andy's List--why don't you and Andy hash it out (too many voices muddy up the waters) and give us the 6. You are right on with ease of sourcing being a factor (it was Phyllis' initial parameter, BTW), so scratch Burmester and Quevedo.

The rest I can reasonably obtain. Thanks!

[David Spriggs]

What's wrong with adding the JH Andresen 20 year old? I love that wine! It's easily available in NJ. I can even get it here in CA. Personally I prefer it to many of the others on the list (such as Portal)

[Carl D]

What's wrong with adding the JH Andresen 20 year old? I love that wine! It's easily available in NJ. I can even get it here in CA. Personally I prefer it to many of the others on the list (such as Portal)

I've never seen that wine in CA - clearly we're looking at different stores!

We've currently got 11 different 20's on hand - we're going to put off deciding which ones to taste until we know how many people we're able to line up.

We've got:
1. Ferriera
2. Niepoort
3. Sandeman
4. Portal
5. Ramos Pinto bom Retiro
6. Taylor's
7. Noval
8. Barros
9. Infantado
10. Krohn
11. Graham's

We've also seen in northern CA:

12. Martinez
13. Quinta do Ventozelo
14. Royal Oporto
15. Presidential
16. Fonseca
17. Warre's Otima

I think our minimum core will be something like 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. Taylor's 20 will always have a special place in our taste buds, as it's the first Tawny we had that we really liked. Noval, well, we just like all things Noval, so they have to be in. I dropped the Sandeman from Andy's list when picking our core-6 because we've had it before and it wasn't our favorite.

Of these, I believe we've actually had 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16 in the past - all the others are new to us.

[David Spriggs]

I've never seen that wine in CA - clearly we're looking at different stores!

I can get it from one store in CA. I was really directing that to John M. in NJ, because it's available in several stores in NJ.

[John M.]

David Spriggs wrote:

I can get it from one store in CA. I was really directing that to John M. in NJ, because it's available in several stores in NJ.

I was just following the thread for the ones to taste. To me, it doesn't matter so much which are in, which are out as long as we can all readily get the same ones. Makes for a better comparison across groups when the article is written. My suggestion was that a small group figure out the line-up (I thought Andy & Glenn, the former since his was the original list, Glenn because he's tawny-inclined; if we leave it to a large group there will never be a consensus IMHO)--no matter what in the end it will be fun.

Here's another suggestion, there are bound to be 2-4 left out of the mix including various people's favorites/preferences. How about in six months/a year or so we revisit this theme taking the ones left out of the line-up versus the best of the ones tasted this time? Guarantees you another night of drinking port--plus with that much lead time, perhaps we can find harder ones to obtain. Just my

[Phyllis D]

... To me, it doesn't matter so much which are in, which are out as long as we can all readily get the same ones. ...--no matter what in the end it will be fun.

My opinion
This initial time should be about what you can get locally in your corner of the world without shipping. This would be an interesting point of view, what is your favorites of what is readily available in your area.

So far we have 6 Ports that will be our base. Depending on how many people end up attending we have another 5 in the "bullpen" screaming "put me in coach" and 6 more in the minor leagues just begging for their chance to be the star.

Boy those other bottles are giving me a headache. Anyone want to travel to Northern CA, just to quiet those bottles down?

Our Base:
1. Ferriera
2. Niepoort
3. Portal
4. Ramos Pinto bom Retiro
5. Taylor's
6. Noval

The Bullpen (not in order of importance):
1. Sandeman
2. Barros
3. Infantado
4. Krohn
5. Graham's

The Minor Leagues (begging to be the star):
1. Martinez
2. Quinta do Ventozelo
3. Royal Oporto
4. Presidential
5. Fonseca
6. Warre's Otima

Here's another suggestion, ... How about in six months/a year or so we revisit this theme taking the ones left out of the line-up versus the best of the ones tasted this time?

Excelent Idea! October = 20 yr Tawny Port tasting.

[John M.]

Works for me--nice list.

[Glenn E.]

I dropped the Sandeman from Andy's list when picking our core-6 because we've had it before and it wasn't our favorite.

I think you will find that a lot of people will really like the Sandeman, even if it isn't one of your personal favorites. I tend to agree with you - it's too acidic for me - but I keep it on my "Top 20-yr olds" list because I recognize it's superior quality even if it isn't a style that I prefer to drink myself.

Ramos Pinto - Ferreira - Sandeman also presents a nice broad spectrum of what's available in 20-yr olds. In the same way that we tried to include both Graham's Six Grapes and Noval Black in every Ruby Reserve Taste-Off, I think we should try to include these 3 "core" 20-yr olds in every one of these tastings.

Andy? What do you think? Should we add Niepoort to that to make a "core four?"

[John M.]

Just so I'm clear on this--the Six are:

1 Ferriera
2 Niepoort
3 Portal
4 Ramos Pinto Qta do Bom Retiro
5 Taylor
6 Noval

Is that correct? We're leaving Sandeman et. al. for the next one.

[Moses Botbol]

What's wrong with adding the JH Andresen 20 year old? I love that wine! It's easily available in NJ. I can even get it here in CA. Personally I prefer it to many of the others on the list (such as Portal)

Would have to agree that it is also one of my favorite 20 year tawnys. Why more people are talking about it is beyond me!

[John M.]

Moses:

The plan is to drink the SIX designated, and then in 6 or 12 months redo this tasting, keeping the top 2 or 3 and adding 2 or 3 challengers. Sound like a good plan? and I'd love to see JHA in round 2.

Cheers--John

[Moses Botbol]

Sounds like a good plan. How many are attending it?

[John M.]

In NJ we'll have at least 10, up to 13.

[John M.]

After talking this out with Glenn and volunteering to lead the charge on this FTLOP Tasting we came up with the following:

The best way to facilitate this tasting is to get a Core Three and people can add additional bottles for the 20-Year Tawny Tasting (we tried to nominate ones people could easily obtain in the USA, apologies to our other FTLOPers not in the USA--but please join us if you can). In this manner small groups can participate and larger ones can go larger--but we also keep some consistency. It would be great to get as many groups as possible and with a 3 minimum, a group as small as 3 or 4 could do a tasting. Also, I have volunteered to tabulate the results and if desired do a write up/article reporting the findings.

Here are the Core Three as per Glenn:

1. Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro (if you cannot find sub in Taylor or Noval)
2. Ferreira
3. Sandeman

If including a 4th, strongly suggest the Niepoort, but it's up to you.

Ferreira really represents the "balanced" position in the spectrum, with Ramos Pinto and Sandeman representing the lower and higher acidity ends. Niepoort is its own beast, unlike any other 20-yr old, but deserving of representation due to its high quality

The tasting date is October


I trust you find this plan acceptable; just trying to put it together in a cohesive manner and include as many as possible