In search of Average

[Glenn E.]

Most of us have some way of rating the Port (and other wines) that we drink, whether that's the 5* scale, the 20-pt scale, the 100-pt scale, or something else. All of them have advantages and disadvantages, but one thing that always seems to come up is the concept of score creep. I use the 100-pt scale, so for this topic I'll stick to that.

Just for review, my 100-pt scale works like this. It's basically the same as most others, with one additional "level" thrown into the 90s for additional detail.

100 - perfect
97-99 - magnificent
94-96 - outstanding
90-93 - excellent
85-89 - very good
80-84 - good
75-79 - average (edit: or "fair" to avoid confusion with a statistical average)
below 75 - poor, etc

It is also important to note that, for me, the 100-pt scale is absolute. It's the range of all Port ever produced, and in some sense is "fixed" in quality level. In other words, a 90-pt Port today is exactly as good as a 90-pt Port was 40 years ago. Some other people adjust their scale with time so that "average" means "average right now" instead of "average over all time."

So with that in mind, score creep is the idea that scores are being artificially inflated over time - a Port that I might have rated 90-91 ten years ago magically receives a 92 or 93 today for no good reason.

My defense has always been that wine makers, and Port makers in particular, are constantly improving their product. It makes sense that scores will slowly rise over time because the product itself is actually getting better.

The typical retort to that defense goes like this, "then why don't you ever rate a Port in the 70s?" And my response is that I'm lucky enough to be able to be selective. It isn't that 75-pt Port doesn't exist, it's that I choose not to buy it and drink it.

But that begs the question... does a 75-pt Port really exist these days? Or is it true that all Port these days really is "above average" on a fixed all-time scale?

What would you consider to be an "average" Port today?

[Eric Menchen]

I remember having Cruz ruby on a Douro cruise. I would have scored it in the low 80s. I've had some plonk in France that would would be in the same range. The interesting thing I find with your word choice Glenn is that to me, the "average" Port is pretty good these days, as is the average wine, at least that I taste. Poor, good, very good, etc. shouldn't move with time, but "average" perhaps can. And since I've only been drinking wine for ~25 years, and not much in those early years, I can't really say how wine tasted 40 years ago.

To me, an average Port today is a strong ruby (Noval) or reserve, which probably will score in the 85-90 point range.

[Glenn E.]

I see what you're saying. A statistically "average" Port today is actually a "Very Good" Port, and thus warrants a rating in the 85-89 range. Perhaps "Fair" would be a better label for 75-79 then? (Or maybe I should just call that range "meh"... )

So to revise the question, does a "Fair" Port exist today? I would honestly like to try one, but I have no idea what to even look for. Like Eric, I find that most plain rubies and tawnies warrant at least a "Good" rating which puts them into the 80-84 range, and that Reserves usually fall into the 85-89 range.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

DRT owns several bottles of Royal Oporto 1983. Make him an attractive offer (start the negotiation at 5¢ each), and you'll have your once-in-a-lifetime chance to rate a Port below 80.

[Derek T.]

DRT owns several bottles of Royal Oporto 1983. Make him an attractive offer (start the negotiation at 5¢ each), and you'll have your once-in-a-lifetime chance to rate a Port below 80.

I also have 11 bottles of Offley Boa Vista 1972 which would allow the "below 75pts" category to be benchmarked.

[Glenn E.]

I would love to try both (seriously) this fall! Then we can move on to our regular high standards for the rest of the visit.

[Janet Ainsworth]

Being in Western Washington, you're in range of Grocery Outlet and can try the Tuke Holdsworth 1980 and 1983. I believe you'll have your benchmark there...

[Bradley Bogdan]

Being in Western Washington, you're in range of Grocery Outlet and can try the Tuke Holdsworth 1980 and 1983. I believe you'll have your benchmark there...

They have the '80 and '83??? I've had numerous bottles of the '99, '00 and ' 03 and all have been solid. Not outstanding, by any means, but good QPR.

[Glenn E.]

Being in Western Washington, you're in range of Grocery Outlet and can try the Tuke Holdsworth 1980 and 1983. I believe you'll have your benchmark there...

I've never heard of Grocery Outlet, but you've sparked my interest so I'll go look them up!

LOL I can't believe I'm spending so much time trying to chase down "Fair" bottles of Port.

Edit: Cool, there's one at Crossroads Mall. That's just down the street from my office, so I'll go check them out at lunch!

[John M.]

LOL I can't believe I'm spending so much time trying to chase down "Fair" bottles of Port.

Does this qualify as a "Port Geek" moment???

[Glenn E.]

LOL I can't believe I'm spending so much time trying to chase down "Fair" bottles of Port.

Does this qualify as a "Port Geek" moment???

Yes, I believe it does.

[Moses Botbol]

DRT owns several bottles of Royal Oporto 1983. Make him an attractive offer (start the negotiation at 5¢ each), and you'll have your once-in-a-lifetime chance to rate a Port below 80.

Add in some 1985 Hoopers.

[Eric Menchen]

DRT owns several bottles of Royal Oporto 1983. Make him an attractive offer (start the negotiation at 5¢ each), and you'll have your once-in-a-lifetime chance to rate a Port below 80.

Add in some 1985 Hoopers.

I'm sensing a theme for an offline

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

I'm sensing a theme for an offline

Sorry, I’m busy that day.

[Moses Botbol]

I'm sensing a theme for an offline

Sorry, I’m busy that day.

We'll mix them altogether and send it to you as a Reserve port.

[Glenn E.]

DRT owns several bottles of Royal Oporto 1983. Make him an attractive offer (start the negotiation at 5¢ each), and you'll have your once-in-a-lifetime chance to rate a Port below 80.

Add in some 1985 Hoopers.

Pretty sure I have a bottle of that for my 1985 horizontal next year.

[Glenn E.]

I'm sensing a theme for an offline

Sorry, I’m busy that day.

We'll mix them altogether and send it to you as a Reserve port.

The blends are always better than the separate Ports, right? Right???

Recon mission to Grocery Outlet has been postponed until after work... too much to do over lunch today.

[Moses Botbol]

Add in some 1985 Hoopers.

Pretty sure I have a bottle of that for my 1985 horizontal next year.

I have one or two somewhere...

[Janet Ainsworth]

Glenn, while on your recon mission to Grocery Outlet, check and see if they have any of the 2008 Croft Quinta da Roeda's for 20 dollars. (All of the GO owners order their own wine choices from an available list--so not every GO has everything.) That one is well worth the tariff.

As for the Tuke Holdsworths, the 1983 has as its primary virtue that it is only a 375 ml. The 1980 is a full 750 ml. So you can fully immerse yourself on how bad a port can be and still earn its selo!

On the positive side, Grocery Outlet will take back tasted wine, no questions asked, if you don't like it. You get your money back if you have the receipt, if not, you get store credit. And why would anyone want store credit at GO? Well, for openers, they often have good deals on cheese and fresh pasta (sometimes close to expiration date but still just fine). And then there's the wine department. Vast amounts of plonk, but some stunning bottles for fractions of what you'd expect to pay elsewhere. I bought a wonderful syrah from a small California producer for 5 dollars (that their website posted at 30), a fine French Lirac reserve for about the same, a decent California chardonnay retailing for 20 buck for 3.99, etc. You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the princes, but they're there, they're there. Like the Croft single quinta at 20 dollars.

There are Grocery Outlets in Washington, California, and Oregon (and I think some in Arizona perhaps). Worth a prowl for sure. We go almost every week, just for the adventure of it.

[Glenn E.]

Well I'm at Crossroads now and pucking up both a TH83 in 375 and - risky business - a Tuke Holdsworth Porto Wine Reserve. That one is a 750 and may end up in bolognese later this evening.