Drink or preserve

[Rick V]

I am wondering, if you would ever be the owner of an expensive bottle, lets say a Grahams 1952 colheita tawny, would you drink it or not?
I'm just wondering, is drinking such an expensive bottle worth the price you payed for it?

[Paul Fountain]

With Colheitas I think it is an easy decision... You drink it, as they aren't going to improve in the bottle. I might wait for an appropriate occasion, but I'd be looking for one sooner rather than later. It's a harder choice for VPs though, as you have judge whether the port can improve and weigh that up against the possibility that the port might develop faults, you develop ill health, or a myriad of other possibilities that might prevent later enjoyment of that port

[Moses Botbol]

Agree with Paul

[Glenn E.]

I would definitely drink it. But then, I can say that about any bottle of Port that I buy! I don't buy Port as an investment, so for me every bottle of Port in my cellar is available to drink.

But like Paul said, some of them are waiting for the right occasion. I probably wouldn't open a 1952 Graham's Colheita on some random weekday just to have something to drink, but if a couple of Port friends were coming over it might get opened. Or more likely, I'd take it to a tasting so that a bunch of people could enjoy it with me. That's the kind of bottle that I might open for our annual FTLOP Anniversary tasting, for example.

[Eric Menchen]

Any bottle I buy is fair game to be consumed. Like Glenn, I'm not buying anything as an investment to sell. To me, they are investments in my own future drinking. Not everything is ready to drink today, but a 1952 colheita would be.

[Michael T]

If you don't intend to ever open it then it might as well be filled with water.

[Moses Botbol]

I hope I don't ever have to sell my port, but if I do, I should have some gems.

[Eric Ifune]

Rare and/or precious bottles I perfer to share with like minded folks. They're more enjoyable that way.

There's also the oneupsmanship factor!

[Bradley Bogdan]

Rare and/or precious bottles I perfer to share with like minded folks. They're more enjoyable that way.

There's also the oneupsmanship factor!

Totally agree, notable wines lose something when not shared. I tend to avoid the oneupsmanship game, as I've not been collecting very long, I prefer to find the rare and/or odd bottles. I feel that those, even more so than the great ones, need to be shared to be enjoyed most thoroughly.

[Andy Velebil]

Rare and/or precious bottles I perfer to share with like minded folks. They're more enjoyable that way.

There's also the oneupsmanship factor!

Totally agree, notable wines lose something when not shared. I tend to avoid the oneupsmanship game, as I've not been collecting very long, I prefer to find the rare and/or odd bottles. I feel that those, even more so than the great ones, need to be shared to be enjoyed most thoroughly.

Agree with both of these statements.

[Rick V]

Thank you all for your insights on this matter. I'm just starting to explore the world of port. Reading things like the comments above really shows how much you all love port and drinking it.

Then again, I have a somewhat related question. How long will a vintage port need to ripe?
For example: I buy a vintage port of 2000. Will I enjoy it now? Will I enjoy it more in 10 years? More in 20 years?
I also understand that buying ports that are younger (2009) are less expensive than older ones (1985).
Also, from my visit to Porto, I can remember I was told that there are 'less good' vintage years over others, so will they also be cheaper?

[Eric Menchen]

Then again, I have a somewhat related question. How long will a vintage port need to ripe?

The "official" answer is 21 years. But some need longer, and see the next answer.

For example: I buy a vintage port of 2000. Will I enjoy it now? Will I enjoy it more in 10 years? More in 20 years?

You can enjoy most young Port. I've enjoyed many, and will probably open a 2007 Quinta do Noval Silval and possibly a 2007 Warre in a few weeks. Will ten years be better? That is possible, but it really depends on the Port. A young Port will be big, bold, and powerful. Some might have too many tannins to be enjoyable, but while most are still made for long term aging, they are these days made to be more approachable when young. The one caveat to the ten year point is that while the wine evolves, it may go through a stage where it "dumbs down" or "closes up". As it ages there are a variety of oxidizing and reducing reactions taking place, changing the character of the wine. And the tannins are settling out as well. These reactions don't occur in perfect synchronization, and can cause the wine to be out of balance. If and when this happens depends on the wine and storage conditions, but it can hit in the 5-15 year range.

I also understand that buying ports that are younger (2009) are less expensive than older ones (1985).

This is a general belief of the wine world in general, but not always true, for Port or other wines. The stellar classics will be more expensive when old. In the US, 1970 Taylor runs $140+, as does 1994. New release bottles of 2011 are going for $80. But you can find 1977 for around $100, and 1997 and 2000 for less than $80. These might not be as good as the more expensive vintages, but there are many cases where some really good older wines can be found for reasonable prices, e.g. 1985 Fonseca. There are a few threads on this forum about what prices do with time, and it isn't always that they go up.

Also, from my visit to Porto, I can remember I was told that there are 'less good' vintage years over others, so will they also be cheaper?

Yes, this is definitely the case. In general the better years will cost more. 1997 isn't viewed as well as 1994 and 2000, and bottles from that year are generally cheaper. There are exceptions of course for every brand and vintage. Sometimes a famous reviewer gives a particular wine a high score, driving the price up; and sometimes a particular producer just breaks the mold and makes an outstanding wine in a year when the rest were just mediocre.

Finally, there are second label, off-year, and single quinta products that provide additional options. And those are still Vintage Ports. We haven't even started on LBVs, ...