For The Love Of Port

Can I please have some suggested decanting times for the following:

Croft 1977
Dow's 1977
Quarles Harris 1977
Smith Woodhouse 1977

Thanks

Derek

PS: in case you didn't notice, I am planning a 77 horizontal

Usual business.

And three hours each.

Julian,

That is a new design, is it not? Very cool-looking.

Derek,

Having never tried 30 year old VP yet, I am of very little help. I would have recommended 3-4 hrs myself. (best guess) Samples along the way of course, so you'll know for next time when that optimum drinking window is with each... I suspect they may be different for each port.

(Alan would be chastising you for opening these babies up after so few decades of bottle aging!)

Todd

Derek,

For the Quarles Harris, i would give it about 3-4 hours. Cant recall having the SW or croft, and its been a while for the Dows..but IIRC, around 6-7 hours would be a good start.

Thanks, Guys - anyone with any more ideas please chip in

....and thanks for the new look mats Julian, very cool

Derek

It’s just a setting—one of many.

The manual wrote:The Titles can be outlined by setting /OutlineTitles true def

If you post here or PM me a list if names I’ll give them a page each.

At 3 hours or so, you run a major risk of the wines lacking integration, yet there is minimal risk of deterioration at 48 hours.

- So why take a chance?

Play safe and give them at least 24hrs

Tom

I'm with Tom on this one.

And dont spill any!!!

I like Tom's idea, and am very happy that Alan agrees.

Now to the finer detail. Supposing I open these bottles one at a time the evening before the event, decant them and then pour them back into the rinsed out bottles. Do I T-cork them at that point or leave them open?Either way, do I refridgerate until near the event or leave them sitting out at room temperature?

Derek

Having had the QH not to long ago, 24 hours is way too long of a decant. It is a VP that is already started a slight decline. 3-4 hours would be plenty.

To go into things far to deeply, I find myself agreeing with both Tom and Andy.
The reason being that anything in its prime has that firey taste and can often take a lot longer than the experts think to intergrate, and to let the subtle flavours emerge.
The exception to that would be a Port passing its drinking window. In that case, the Fortification process is over, and the desired 'Portness' is failing. In my expierience this can cause one of two reactions. One is that the Alcohol overwhelms the drink, and never calms down, or alternatively, the alcohol burns away, but the juice underneath is flat and neutral.
So if the Port in question is anywhere near its prime, decant very early for an event, or for personal use, dont rush it, and give it many hours, if not days.
But if the Port is on the wane (As Andy says the QH is) that would be one I'd do a few hours before its required.
A very personal and subjective topic, and there's my tuppence worth.

Alan

At the risk of becoming over-repetitive...

..if you don't let decanters get too warm after decanting, the contents stay good for a long time - usually several days.

.. but if you let them rise to room temperature - (20C/70F +) - then the contents quickly become less attractive..

If you don't have a cellar, or space in the fridge, get hold of a large unglazed flower pot - big enough to stand the decanter inside. Stand the flower pot in a dish of water, with the decanter inside, and a tea towel over the top.

The water soaks into the clay pot, and as it dries off the surface keeps the contents of the pot surprisingly cool - even on a hot day.

Another 'tip of the day'

Tom

uncle tom wrote:If you don't have a cellar, or space in the fridge, get hold of a large unglazed flower pot - big enough to stand the decanter inside. Stand the flower pot in a dish of water, with the decanter inside, and a tea towel over the top.

The water soaks into the clay pot, and as it dries off the surface keeps the contents of the pot surprisingly cool - even on a hot day.

Deserving of its own thread.

Julian D. A. Wiseman wrote:

uncle tom wrote:If you don't have a cellar, or space in the fridge, get hold of a large unglazed flower pot - big enough to stand the decanter inside. Stand the flower pot in a dish of water, with the decanter inside, and a tea towel over the top.

The water soaks into the clay pot, and as it dries off the surface keeps the contents of the pot surprisingly cool - even on a hot day.

Deserving of its own thread.

I also heard gasoline (Petrol for you over the pond ) has a cooling effect....but you may get a touch more of the heat on the palate.

So, should the QH77 be opened on the day or should I go for Tom's "keep it cool and it'll be fine" theory?

Please bear in mind, all bottles will be decanted and then immediatley poured back into the original bottle - I don't have enough decanters to do anything else!

With this in mind, should they be stoppered for 24 hours or left open?

Derek

Based on the last bottle I had of the QH77, I'd open the day of the event. If your pouring it back into bottle right away...maybe 6 hours ahead of time. It isn't one that needs a lot of decanting at this point...at least based on the last bottle I had.

If you don't have a cellar, or space in the fridge, get hold of a large unglazed flower pot - big enough to stand the decanter inside. Stand the flower pot in a dish of water, with the decanter inside, and a tea towel over the top.

The water soaks into the clay pot, and as it dries off the surface keeps the contents of the pot surprisingly cool - even on a hot day.

Another 'tip of the day'

Tom,

If you think this is a cool or unique idea, you really need to go visit Dirk's new place in the Douro that will be finished later this summer. He is planning for this to cool down and humidify a major part of his Douro wine barrels. It is amazing to see how!

Derek,

Sorry I did not see this topic earlier as I've been away for the past three days judging at a wine competition and only had a few minutes to check emails and this site. Nothing like tasting 160 wines per day (55 Syrahs in a row was the crazy part) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with one hour for a lunch break.

To directly answer your question and lob another opinion into the fray:

* Open the bottles the morning of the event.
* Filter them into open decanters at room temperature.
* Every 2-3 hours check on their progress ... however you want to do that (eyeball, swirl/sniff, taste a tiny sip).
* When you feel that they have had enough oxygenation, pour the contents back into the original bottle & recork with its own cork or a T stopper.
* Insert the bottle into the refrigerator where the 40 degrees F. temp. will retard further oxygenation down to a snail's pace. Remove prior to transport or 1 hour prior to service.

Just my FWIW.

If you think this is a cool or unique idea

Anything but!! This is the stuff of Mrs Beeton - the method used to keep milk cool before the days of refrigerators.

- And it works!

Tom

Derek,

Regarding Roy's suggestion,

Every 2-3 hours check on their progress ... however you want to do that (eyeball, swirl/sniff, taste a tiny sip).

The 'tiny sip' is a typo! Leave it alone!

Alan