For The Love Of Port

Opened some Sandemans as a contribution to a pretty big Sandeman vertical last night. I opened the 1967, 1947, 1904 and 1873. Sadly, the 1904 was corked. Wine of the night was the 1948.

1945 Dow

2004 Taylor Fladgate LBV as something to reacquainted myself to the juice after a three week battle with Salmonella poisoning... Meh. Maybe I should have gone with my original idea of murdering my one and only bottle of Fonseca Guimaraens '76 to commemorate my 35th year on the planet, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. Looks like that bottle is safe for another 5 years when we both turn 40!

Todd Pettinger wrote:2004 Taylor Fladgate LBV as something to reacquainted myself to the juice after a three week battle with Salmonella poisoning... Meh. Maybe I should have gone with my original idea of murdering my one and only bottle of Fonseca Guimaraens '76 to commemorate my 35th year on the planet, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. Looks like that bottle is safe for another 5 years when we both turn 40!

Good call on holding off on the '76. That's a rare bottle worth you being at 100% to enjoy it.

20 year Taylor

-- Gary

Just opened a half bottle of Casa do Douro 1963 colheita. It's not bad - I was expecting much worse.

A bottle of 2000 Churchill's. I'm very new to Port and trying to figure out what I like.

Tried Dow's 2007 VP tonight after reading about it on the site. It was quite tasty.

Luke W wrote:A bottle of 2000 Churchill's. I'm very new to Port and trying to figure out what I like.

Can't go wrong with that 2007 Dow's you opened And the best way to figure out what you like to try as many different Ports are you can

Double bill tonight: 10 year old Quinta de Ventozelo Tawny for the wife (okay, I may have tried SOME!!) and a half of the 2003 Portal for myself.

Yeah, I know, the Portal is way too young to be consumed now, but I was looking for something of a celebratory nature and my cellar defenders took the holiday Monday off... I made a pledge this year to try to drink less volume of Port but to enjoy what I did drink while trying to get back into running shape this year. more VPs, more Good stuff and less of the run of the mill ordinary, including those

I opened a half bottle of Croft 2004 LBV. Filled the hole nicely. Very drinkable stuff and around £4 a half bottle in Tesco at the moment.

Al B. wrote:I opened a half bottle of Croft 2004 LBV. Filled the hole nicely. Very drinkable stuff and around £4 a half bottle in Tesco at the moment.

Al, if I lived in the UK I know three things would be true:
1. I'd be drunk every night. With that type of price and the availability, the flow would never stop.
2. I'd be fat(ter). With that type of prove and availability, it would be inevitable.
3. I'd be broke(er.). with the availability of old VPs, I could likely not contain myself. It is EASY to NOT pull out the wallet to purchase the 1963 Fonseca at $775 Cdn or the Taylor (same year) at $880.

I also highly suspect I would be: 4. Divorced.

JOSE MARIA DA FONSECA AND VAN ZELLER 2000 VP

2 bottles of domestic port-style wines from Oregon - actually very good.

2005 Dow's LBV

Cockburn's Special Reserve

10 year Warre's Otima Tawny Port

20 year Graham's Tawny Port

1962 Graham Malvedos

dom carter wrote:JOSE MARIA DA FONSECA AND VAN ZELLER 2000 VP

Dom, you live in the UK??? Is it LEGAL for you to open a VP under 20 years of age?!? I just want to make sure the secret Port Police (okay, fine, I'll just call him "Derek") don't come to take you away!!!

@Todd: I bought more than one! - i just wanted a benchmark for later years.

I'm hoping Derek will forgive me - general thoughts are this will last a fair few years.

2003 Quevedo LBV Port

This weekend, another batch of 2008 VP's.

Cockburn 1955 - what a brilliant port this is at the moment. A real heavyweight.