50th birthday - recommendation for a custom experience

[rainer s]

Hi,

we (4 persons) are going to visit Porto March, 8th to 12th, including my friend, who is getting 50 years old on that Sunday. He loves port, dining and cooking.

Any recommentations, on how to set up his birthday in an unforgettable way and who to ask about a custom experience:
Minimum Ingrediens: opening a 1963 vintage with tongs, maybe followed by a good menu, drinking the vintage afterwards...

Best regards,
Rainer

[Frederick Blais]

Try to contact this restaurant : http://taylor.pt/en/visit-taylors/barao ... ant-porto/

I'm pretty sure you can buy a 63 at the lodge or on the restaurant wine list. About the tongs, I've seen some previously opened bottles with tongs on display, check with them if they really do it.

[Roy Hersh]

Another option is across the street to have a remarkable meal and stay at the Taylor owned, THE YEATMAN Hotel: http://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/the-yea ... Qgodr3AAZQ

[Moses Botbol]

Hard to find a more fancy setting than the Yeatman.

Which 1963 vintage would pick if you could pick any? Right now, for me it's pretty tough choice between Fonseca, Dow, and Graham... Dow was WOTN the last time I visited the '63 vintage about a month ago.

[Glenn E.]

Hard to find a more fancy setting than the Yeatman.

Which 1963 vintage would pick if you could pick any? Right now, for me it's pretty tough choice between Fonseca, Dow, and Graham... Dow was WOTN the last time I visited the '63 vintage about a month ago.

As much as I love Graham, I think in this case I'd go with Fonseca. The Dow, Graham, and Taylor are all very good, but for me the Fonseca just shines.

[Moses Botbol]

Hard to find a more fancy setting than the Yeatman.

Which 1963 vintage would pick if you could pick any? Right now, for me it's pretty tough choice between Fonseca, Dow, and Graham... Dow was WOTN the last time I visited the '63 vintage about a month ago.

As much as I love Graham, I think in this case I'd go with Fonseca.

More likely for the Yeatman to have on hand.

[Al B.]

Another option is across the street to have a remarkable meal and stay at the Taylor owned, THE YEATMAN Hotel: http://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/the-yea ... Qgodr3AAZQ

I completely agree that the Yeatman would be a great place to stay or to have a meal - they might even be able to organise for a bottle of 1963 port to be opened with tongs. The prices of the 1963 ports on the Yeatman's wine list are pretty high though, it might be worth checking to see what they have available and at what price before you commit.

Another option is to eat at the new restaurant in the Graham's Lodge. This should be open when you visit and might be well worth trying. You could contact the Graham's team to see whether they could organise a 1963 to be opened with tongs and drunk by you and your friends. I'm not sure if there is any of the Warre 1963 family reserve still on offer, but this is a great wine if still available.

Other good (90+ points) '63s I've had recently include Constantino, Croft, Dalva Golden White, Delaforce, Dow, Fonseca, Graham, Noval Nacional, Taylor, Van Zeller Colheita and Warre. The Noval Nacional was good, but was matched in quality terms by the Graham and nearly by the Dow and Warre.

[Roy Hersh]

Wow, this coming from the man who likes the 1963 Nacional above all other VPs, not just from this vintage. Am I mistaken?

[Al B.]

Wow, this coming from the man who likes the 1963 Nacional above all other VPs, not just from this vintage. Am I mistaken?

True. The 1963 Nacional is still the best port that I have ever tasted, but I've only been lucky enough to have tried it once in the last couple of years. On that occasion it had a relatively short decant and my taste is for softer wines that generally have had a longer decant. If I could, I would give the Nacional '63 a 12-24 hour decant.

On the other hand, I've had astonishingly good bottles of Graham's, Contantino (which was completely unexpected), Dow and Warre over the same period.

If I had unlimited funds then I'd drink lots of the Nacional '63, but in order to at least try to manage the budget I will happily use these others as cellar defenders

[Roy Hersh]

Well stated, Alex!

[rainer s]

Thanks to all for your recommendations. I got the following offers:

• Yeatman: tasting menu (100€ p.p.) or sunday lunch (45€ p.p.) + Croft 1963 for 179€ or Delaforce 1963 for 176€, no tongs
• Talyors Barão Fladgate: Vintage 1963 and the price to open it with hot tongs by a specialist is 750.00€, without tongs 583.00€ and it´s served in the restaurant
• Grahams: new restaurant is open since 2 weeks and managed by http://www.sagardi.com. Grahams itself can offer a Warre’s 1963 and it is available for 310€, but they cannot serve it in the restaurant.
• Vinologia: offers a 1963 (was it Kopke or Krohn) for 490€.

Selected Yeatman Sunday lunch and the Croft for next week...
Rainer

[Moses Botbol]

Thanks to all for your recommendations. I got the following offers:

• Yeatman: tasting menu (100€ p.p.) or sunday lunch (45€ p.p.) + Croft 1963 for 179€ or Delaforce 1963 for 176€, no tongs
• Talyors Barão Fladgate: Vintage 1963 and the price to open it with hot tongs by a specialist is 750.00€, without tongs 583.00€ and it´s served in the restaurant
• Grahams: new restaurant is open since 2 weeks and managed by http://www.sagardi.com. Grahams itself can offer a Warre’s 1963 and it is available for 310€, but they cannot serve it in the restaurant.
• Vinologia: offers a 1963 (was it Kopke or Krohn) for 490€.

Selected Yeatman Sunday lunch and the Croft for next week...
Rainer

Wow, some of those prices are giving me vertigo! Yeatman sounds the most reasonable for sure! Not sure if I have had '63 Delaforce, but '63 Croft is solid. Not one of the best, but a solid 2nd tier port that I have enjoyed many times. Amazing how much they charge to use tongs??? I wonder why? If it were my restaurant, I'd offer the tongs for "a tip" as it is good promotion and partons will never forget the experience and that restaurant...

Oh well. You'll have an amazing time a the Yeatman without question. Perhaps an after dinner tour of Taylor will be offered? Please post some pictures!

[Derek T.]

Grahams: new restaurant is open since 2 weeks and managed by http://www.sagardi.com. Grahams itself can offer a Warre’s 1963 and it is available for 310€, but they cannot serve it in the restaurant.

If that is true it is ridiculous on more than one level. How much is it to take a Warre 1963 from your cellar and pay corkage?

[Eric Menchen]

Wow, some of those prices are giving me vertigo! ... Amazing how much they charge to use tongs??? I wonder why? If it were my restaurant, I'd offer the tongs for "a tip" as it is good promotion and partons will never forget the experience and that restaurant...

Agreed.

[Andy Velebil]

Interesting in that the Graham's Lodge website has not been updated to reflect the new changes and the new restaurant.

[Al B.]

Interesting in that the Graham's Lodge website has not been updated to reflect the new changes and the new restaurant.

I've just made a similar comment on the Graham's blog story announcing the opening of the restaurant.

C'mon guys! We want more details! Menus, wine lists and picture please!