For The Love Of Port

On our national marketplace someone is offering 5 bottles of Garrafeira Particular, colheita 1959 and colheita 1958, cave Alianca.
I've never heard of it and can't find many information about it. My first question is: Is this a colheita port? My second question would be: has anyone had this before and is it worth buying?

Thank's, Monique.

Monique,

I have never heard of this company but a quick search on google came up with this site: http://www.alianca.pt/pt1/conteudos/con ... s&lang=pt1

They do not advertise themselves as a port producer but have been in business for 80 years and currently make Douro wines.

"Garrafeira Particular" is a term often found on old bottles of Colheita. I'm not sure what the literal translation is but it is something along the lines of "Special Old Wine".

Good luck!

Derek T. wrote:"Garrafeira Particular" is a term often found on old bottles of Colheita. I'm not sure what the literal translation is but it is something along the lines of "Special Old Wine".

My guess would be something like "special bottling" or "private bottling." The couple of times that I've had the priviledge of trying Quevedo's private Colheitas they've come in bottles labeled Garrafeira Particular.

Monique
If they are offering it in one bottle lots and it is not too expensive I am sure we would love to hear your opinion of this wine. Unfortunately I have never tried it. Regards. Jim

Thank you for your replies. Unfortunatly it's a 8 bottle lot with all old wines, so I'm not shure if I should go for this. I wouldn't mind throwing one bottle through the sink, but two, or three, or...

Monique,

This is not Port!

This is non-fortified red wine. It will probably be a blend of Dão and Bairrada wines. Caves Aliança (and may other producers of the time) frequently bought wines from different producers, blended and aged the wines before selling them.

Here is an image of the label http://www.fortheloveofport.com/portrai ... 5B1%5D.jpg

Thank you for your help Daniel, but when it's no fortified wine, is this still drinkable?

Regards, Monique.

I noticed that an online store I've used to buy port has on stock something which has a label reading "Garrafeira Particular, Vinho Generoso, Colheita de 1937". I have no idea what's in the bottle, but at 20€ a bottle I just might get some when I next order from there.

Aha, so we've been fooled again. I should know better because I run into it all the time.

"Colheita" means something specific to those of us who drink Port, but it is also the Portuguese word for "harvest" or "vintage." So when a bottle is labeled "Colheita de 1937" it's not saying that it's a Port, it's just saying it's from the 1937 harvest/vintage.

For 20€, I'd try a 1937 bottle even if it isn't a Port. I wouldn't have high hopes, but it might be a fun gamble.

Eric Menchen wrote:For 20€, I'd try a 1937 bottle even if it isn't a Port. I wouldn't have high hopes, but it might be a fun gamble.

For that price it's a no brainer to grab one and see if it's still good. If it is, I'd goback and buy all they had.

Monique Heinemans. wrote:Thank you for your help Daniel, but when it's no fortified wine, is this still drinkable?

Regards, Monique.

Monique,

I drank a bottle of the 1957 during 2010. You really have to like old wines to try something like this. The bottle I drank was very drinkable: dark brown clour, very odd aromas initially (glue, other chemicals) that calmed down with airing, tobacco and leather notes on the palate. Very delicate, but alive. I very much enjoyed it.

I personally would not pay more than 10 euros a bottle as the risk of the wine being dead is huge, This type of wine is fascinating for me as it it a type of wine that has completely disappeared in Portugal: very high acidity wine (undrinkable when young), blended and aged in large used toneis, placed on the market 10 to 15 years after the vintage.

Daniel

When I worked in a wine shop in 1975-1977 as a young man I used to see inexpensive bottles from Caves Aliança all the time.