For The Love Of Port

I recently purchased some Fonseca 85 that was claimed to be shipped to me "ex-cellars", meaning that it had only just been released from the Fonseca lodge in VNG. At first I considered this to be a very good thing as the provenance of the bottles was assured.

However, having visited some of the lodges in Gaia, all of which are very similar in design and layout, it stikes me that this may not in fact be the best option for ensuring optimum storage for the longer term. All of the VP stocks I seen in VNG were in cages or locked rooms above ground with tiled roofs. Although all of these "cellars" were cool, I did visit in March when the weather outside was quite cold. I wonder what the temperature variation is throughout the year and also from night to day in the hot summer months? I find it hard to believe that these cellars have anything like a constant temperature.

If it turns out that my theory is correct, and also that buying mature VP "ex-cellars" is a good thing - why do we all make such a fuss about having our precious bottles kept at constant temperature & humidity at home?

Derek

I suspect that bottles of young port are pretty robust, and that provided they are protected from extremes of temperature, will weather fluctuations with impunity.

After about 20 years, the corks begin to weaken, and the push-pull of thermal expansion and contraction begins to cause loss of level in poorly cellared bottles.

Thus the older the bottle, the more sensitive to storage conditions they become.

In VNG, the mountains of granite used to construct the walls of the lodges probably affords good day/night temperature stability, but there is almost certainly a significant summer/winter cycle, depending on the lodge, and the extent to which they have burrowed into the hillside!

Tom

However, having visited some of the lodges in Gaia, all of which are very similar in design and layout, it stikes me that this may not in fact be the best option for ensuring optimum storage for the longer term. All of the VP stocks I seen in VNG were in cages or locked rooms above ground with tiled roofs.

Derek,

I have been to a couple of Lodges in Gaia over the years and would say that over 99% of the Port cellars I have seen, are below ground. Of course if you are referencing say, Graham's as an example ... then I understand. They have a nice caged area upstairs for the tourists to see, but this appears solely to provide visitors an "impression." Their underground cellar is absolutely enormous and has hundreds of thousands of bottles down there. You really do need to go to Portugal with US to see the real deal.

OK Roy - get this harvest trip sorted for October and I'll let you show me all this underground juice 8)

Derek