For The Love Of Port

Derek T. wrote:Sorry, Glenn, this was not a good purchase

I disagree. I've had the 85 Croft 3 or 4 times in the past and enjoyed it very much, though the last time I had it was probably a good 7-8 years ago. Maybe I was just lucky, but I didn't find any problem with VA in the bottles I tasted. I suppose you'll find out for yourself soon enough Glenn...

1995 Fonseca Porto Guimaraens Vintage
1995 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage Quinta de Vargellas
1994 Cockburn Porto Vintage
1994 Warre Porto Vintage
1991 Dow Porto Vintage
N.V. Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series New Orleans Special Reserve

Further expanding my 1985 horizontal (now at 22 different Vintage Ports):

2 x 1985 Burmester Extra Selected Vintage Port from WineBid.com.

Since WineBid has a picture of the bottle I do know that these are in fact Vintage Ports, but does anyone know what the "Extra Selected" means? CellarTracker seems to think that Burmester released both a "Vintage Port" and an "Extra Selected Vintage Port" in 1985... but I don't trust CellarTracker as proof for this kind of information. Does anyone know for sure?

(If both exist, then I definitely need to aquire a bottle of the regular Vintage Port for my horizontal.)

I also ordered 2 more bottles of the 1952 Dalva Golden White Colheita from Gonçalo that I intend to pick up this fall during the Harvest Tour.

Glenn E. wrote:2 x 1985 Burmester Extra Selected Vintage Port from WineBid.com.

Since WineBid has a picture of the bottle I do know that these are in fact Vintage Ports, but does anyone know what the "Extra Selected" means? CellarTracker seems to think that Burmester released both a "Vintage Port" and an "Extra Selected Vintage Port" in 1985... but I don't trust CellarTracker as proof for this kind of information. Does anyone know for sure?.

Does anyone know if there are indeed two different Burmester Vintage Ports from 1985, and if so what is the difference?

I think this question has come up before and, as far as I can remember, these are just different labels on the same port, possibly targetted at different countries/markets. It is similar to the inexplicable and meaningless use of the word "Finest" by shippers such as Fonseca and Graham in the not too distant past.

Well, this isn't a Port but...

4 x Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira "New Orleans Special Reserve" Madeira

I've been looking for this for a while and jumped on it when T-Bird pointed it out.
-Dave-

Nothing as exciting as Glenn's mega-horizontal, but I picked up a 2003 Taylor Fladgate LBV that my local grocery store had on clearance for $14.99. If I like it as much as I think I will based on some of the TNs I've seen around here, I'll buy the rest of their limited stock (which sounds impressive, but is only 3-4 more bottles).

Put in a bid at Christie's NYC for lot 450, a mix of Taylor. If you want to outbid me, you can, but please don't underbid me and just drive up the price. PM for details.

2 x infantado 10 year tawny app 28 usd
4 x infantado reserva familia app 23 usd
8 x crasto lbv 2004 app 21 usd

my local portuguese wineshop have a spring sale so we got a decent price on their last crasto's, they are very tasty

Claus

Eric Menchen wrote:Put in a bid at Christie's NYC ...

1x 1955 Taylor
2x 1977 Taylor
8x 1994 Taylor

1999 Smith Woodhouse LBV
2005 Niepoort VP

After Roy's recommendation @ Glenn's tasting in Seattle -

Quinta do Noval 2003 LBV (unfiltered) - £25

Well, I have taken the next step down the slippery slope and bought a bottle which I brought home on a plane with me, sealed inside one of those WineSkin bubble-wrap bags, tucked in my suitcase. (A Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 yr tawny)

I just noticed an insignia on the front which is part of the glass bottle itself that reads "in hoc signo vinces," which according to The Great Wikipedia means "with this as your standard you shall have victory". This being maybe my second bottle of Ramos Pinto, I don't know if that's something that shows up on all their bottles or just a select few. Anyway, I found it interesting.

Huh. I always thought it was "In this sign we shall conquer," but Wiki certainly seems positive that it is "In this sign you shall conquer." ( I slightly rephrase for a more euphonious rendering.) (If I understand the Latin conjugation rules on Wiki correctly, "we shall conquer" would be "vincemus.")

I saw that motto 80 times a day for over 40 years. (It's on the Pall Mall pack, and on every single cigarette.) Fortunately, for the past year, I haven't seen it very often, and then never at close range.

2 x 1952 Dalva Golden White Colheita from Goncalo at Vinologia. I figured I'd better get a couple more bottles before it's all gone! I'll be picking these up during the Harvest Tour this fall.

Also 12 x 1987 Graham's Malvedos. '87 is my anniversary year so I wanted to stock up for future parties.

Just grabbed 3 more 2007 Dow's VP's for $60

Eric Menchen wrote:1977 Smith Woodhouse VP; 1983 Gould Campbell VP & 1983 Niepoort VP, to test my theory that I like the 83s better than the 85s.

DID NOT get the 1983 Niepoort. This was purchased at auction from winecommune.com / JJ Buckley. I won the auction and they were about to ship it out, despite my settings and previous e-mails telling them not to ship. I told them again that I didn't want to ship until warmer weather and I had filled out full cases, so they stopped the shipment. Well a few weeks ago I purchased bottles 23 and 24 from them and told them to ship the two full cases. Well, seems they lost the 1983 Niepoort in the mean time. They've refunded me for that bottle, but I'm trying to decide if I ever want to do business with them again after this mixup.

Eric Menchen wrote: I'm trying to decide if I ever want to do business with them again after this mixup.

There's a famous bumper sticker that seems to sum this up quite well. If you are otherwise happy with their service perhaps you should put this one down to experience and give them a chance to redeem themselves?

Derek T. wrote:If you are otherwise happy with their service perhaps you should put this one down to experience and give them a chance to redeem themselves?

I'm considering this, but this wasn't my first less than ideal experience, and I'm suspicious of what happened to the Niepoort.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Eric Menchen wrote:Put in a bid at Christie's NYC ...

1x 1955 Taylor
2x 1977 Taylor
8x 1994 Taylor

Did you win these at Christies?

Taylor 97 has been missing from my cellar for a while; now it isn't.