For The Love Of Port

Grant H wrote:Trying out a bottle of the 2011 Dow's this evening. Very excited for it. It smells so jammy in the decanter.

YUMMY!!!!

Hi Grant,

Please do report back about that Dow's you are trying!

I will do a tasting note for this one (my first!) but I'll start by saying that it convinced us to buy another 12 bottles. Pretty sublime stuff.

Good to hear you liked it. I am very much looking forward to your first ever tasting note on a Port wine. I'd bet there are a few hundred people who have posted their very first Port tasting note here too. You are in good company. Don't worry, nobody is here to judge. Also, there is no right and no wrong .. so just go for it!

Grant H wrote:I will do a tasting note for this one (my first!) but I'll start by saying that it convinced us to buy another 12 bottles. Pretty sublime stuff.

Now that's what we're talking about

Look forward to reading your note on it.

I saw 2011 Dow for $59.95 locally... Worth getting? They also had 375's of 2011 Niepoort for $30 (I think).

Moses Botbol wrote:I saw 2011 Dow for $59.95 locally... Worth getting? They also had 375's of 2011 Niepoort for $30 (I think).

Difficult to answer. Looking at the reviews, the DOW 2011 seems to be the best wine of the most likely best vintage since many decades... The Niepoort is close behind as one of the best wines. But then, $59.95 is $59.95.

However, maybe you can help with some questions I have:
Jennifer Lopes called and wants to spend a weekend full of passion with me in Paris - shall I go with her?
Warren Buffet called me and left me a voice mail with what he says is the best stock tip ever - shall I call him back?
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED wants me to to do the photo shoot for their next Swimsuit-Edition - shall I do it?
Cristiano Ronaldo asked me if I have time next Tuesday to play some football with him and Messi - should I go?

Sometimes life throws these questions at us and it is very difficult to answer them.

Christian Gollnick wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:I saw 2011 Dow for $59.95 locally... Worth getting? They also had 375's of 2011 Niepoort for $30 (I think).

Difficult to answer. Looking at the reviews, the DOW 2011 seems to be the best wine of the most likely best vintage since many decades... The Niepoort is close behind as one of the best wines. But then, $59.95 is $59.95.

Looks like $75 is the cheapest in USA, so I think it is worth getting 1 or 2... Thanks for your help!

Hello Moses, just to let you know: Here in Cayman the DOW 2011 is offered at USD 185!!! I get 20% off - but that still would be USD 150 per bottle... I have already a few cases of this wine stored in bond in England and I'm still seriously thinking about buying more of it. I think that
a) you can drink it now and it's just fantastic
b) it will be so much better in 20 years when I retire and I want to drink every year a bottle until either I or the wine run out...
c) I have the feeling that the 2011 Vintage is an opportunity to earn maybe some money... The world might be a different place in 20 years... let's say that Port becomes suddenly the new fashion in Asia... the best vintage with quite a small production was 2011... that should move the prices substantially higher... But there is of course absolutely no guarantee... worse case is you have to drink the port instead of selling it...

Christian Gollnick wrote:Hello Moses, just to let you know: Here in Cayman the DOW 2011 is offered at USD 185!!! I get 20% off - but that still would be USD 150 per bottle... I have already a few cases of this wine stored in bond in England and I'm still seriously thinking about buying more of it.

and I bet you paid more the $60 USD for those bottles, no? ok, I will buy a couple for the heck of it. No way am I drinking them now. I have a 20 year mandate on drinking vintage port (unless it's someone else bottle).

I actually was lucky to get a lot of Vintage 2011 (Fonseca, Graham Classic, Graham ST, Nieport, Noval, Vesuvio Classic, Vesuvio Capella, Taylor Classic, Taylor VV and Dows), so hopefully there will be several chances to taste them in the years to come.

Actually planing a tasting of VT 2011 this year including 7-8 of the different brands just to taste them as youngsters...And afterwards taste them again in maybe 5, 10, 15, 20 years or so.

I am usually the total bargain shopper, but I picked up some 2011 Dow and paid $75 each. Lowest price I see on wine-searcher in the U.S. is $70. (There is an incorrect listing for $48--it is $70 on their website.)

Ivan Madsen wrote:I actually was lucky to get a lot of Vintage 2011 (Fonseca, Graham Classic, Graham ST, Nieport, Noval, Vesuvio Classic, Vesuvio Capella, Taylor Classic, Taylor VV and Dows), so hopefully there will be several chances to taste them in the years to come.

Actually planing a tasting of VT 2011 this year including 7-8 of the different brands just to taste them as youngsters...And afterwards taste them again in maybe 5, 10, 15, 20 years or so.

Very cool!


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I might open one Taylor sometime in the next 5 years. I ended up with ten, so its out of my normal groupings of multiples of 3. Just to see what the fuss is about. Then hands off until 2031 or so...

Russ K wrote:I might open one Taylor sometime in the next 5 years. I ended up with ten, so its out of my normal groupings of multiples of 3. Just to see what the fuss is about. Then hands off until 2031 or so...

I picked up a couple of 375s of that for early tasting.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Russ K wrote:I might open one Taylor sometime in the next 5 years. I ended up with ten, so its out of my normal groupings of multiples of 3. Just to see what the fuss is about. Then hands off until 2031 or so...

I picked up a couple of 375s of that for early tasting.

I usually grab a couple halves for this reason as well. No sense opening a full bottle for a quick check in when a half bottle will do the same. Saving my regular bottles forpost retirement sipping

Finally saw a review with some common sense on a drinking window:

2011 Quinta do Vale Meao Vintage Port
"Powerful, with plenty of acidity to the intense cherry, violet, raspberry and wild plum flavors. Offers a sinewy texture, showing a focused spiciness and a long, mineral- and chocolate-filled finish. Sleek and refined. Best from 2040 through 2060. 750 cases made." 98 Points - Kim Marcus - The Wine Spectator