For The Love Of Port

If you could choose only one category of Port wine that you already enjoy ... which would you like to see in greater abundance in your market place?

Ruby
Ruby Reserve
Crusted
LBV
Vintage
Tawny
Tawny Reserve
Tawny with an indication of age
Colheita
Garrafeira
White
White Colheita

I would love to see more Colheita's (White too). I just don't get much of a variety down here my part of the world and would love to see more.

I'm going to be the first to break Roy's rules for replies.

I would love to see more Crusted and more (Unfiltered) LBV wines offered in the UK - but only ones where they have been bottled aged for far longer that they currently are.

Take the current releases of Crusted and Traditional LBVs in the UK. These are bottled in 2000/2001 and 2006/2007 respectively. Yet if Crusted Port is made for bottle aging and the Warre 1995 Traditional LBV is still drinking immensely young today it would be fantastic if we were able to buy ex-cellar releases of these in 15-20-25 years time.

Perhaps the port producers would be able to consider "Museum Releases" of small quantities of such wines (as the Australian producers sometimes do) or running sales lists for special port buying and drinking afficiandos who would be interested in buying wines like these for immediate consumption but with immaculate provenance. Maybe we could even offer to pay for them in annual instalments to help the producers cash flow and make it worth their while to blend these wines and then to keep stocks of them in the Quintas / Lodges while the wines mature slowly.

Alex

As I can only select ONE, then it would have to be Vintage.

I have never seen a Garrafeira, nor a crusted port (at a local store, so the MORE infers that they would have to carry it to begin with!) I would very much like to see both, but I wish the selection, availability and pricing for VP would be much better.

Todd

I vote for Colheita. Thay are only available at the better
retailers and they only really ever have a couple at most available.
I also find that they have limited stocks and soon run out.
So lots more Colheitas please, more choice and more of them!

Paul.

Al B. wrote:.
I would love to see more Crusted and more (Unfiltered) LBV wines offered in the UK - but only ones where they have been bottled aged for far longer that they currently are.
Alex

Thanks, for that quote. Now I dont feel I'll make Roy's eyes roll, when I answer,

Vintage. At least 20+years old.

Having a great selection of all of them would be nice, but that wasn't the question.

Alan

More Colheita ,
But the SAQ in Its infinite wisdom deems It not necessary .

Alan C. wrote:Vintage. At least 20+years old.

Having a great selection of all of them would be nice, but that wasn't the question.

Alan

I agree with both of your quotes Alan. Your point about more 20+ year VPs being made available is a good one. It would be great if there were not just greater selections of 20+ yr old VPs, but more ex-cellar releases of these fine, almost-ready or approaching-readiness VPs. This way, excellent provenance could be assured, making me feel a LOT better about spending well over $150 for this age of VP.

Todd

I sure would like to see more Portugesse brands, as well as the smaller British brands of anything in stock.

As for styles:

Garrafeira and Crusted come to mind; both are non-existent at the local stores.

I would like to see more VP up my way. And I would have to narrow it a bit to say VP from secondary producers and minor declarations. We (in Alaska) only have the major producers of major vintages which are priced a very high retail. I noticed this trying in vain to procure a June Virtual Taster--I could only find a 2003 Smith Woodhouse and '03 Grahams right now.

Colheita (whites too). Hard to find nice examples, and then they cost more than VP.

Jay

I, too, would like to see more colheitas. From my discussion with the wine manager of the store where I usually go, It seems there is not much readily available from the distributors.

Gary

Garrafeira for sure since I never saw one at the SAQ...
but realistically, more Colheitas.

also more uncommon types like aged whites, would love to see the shippers and douro producers export their brandy and aged aguardentes.
I'll never forget a S. Luiz (Kopke) aged aguardente that was so silky smooth it tickled its way down.... never saw that bottle for sale anywhere again or mention of it on Kopke web site.

cheers
paul

Colheita for me also.

But now I'll break the rules: ideally I would like to see more of all styles here. Unfortunately we have a monopoly that doesn't seem to care what sort of variety (if any) consumers get.

-Otto-

I feel the pain of those above with Port availability or limited selection issues. Here in the Seattle area, there is a good amount of Port. However, the brands are dominated by a 70% market share by Kopke and Rocha, since their importer is located here. Retailers and restaurants are loyal, but those of us Port lovers lose out by having such domination in this market.

If I were to choose one category which I'd like to experience more often it would be CRUSTED, as I have had very few and see even less for sale.

I would like to see more halves of LBV up here in the colony!!

Bob,

Great to have you posting here and thank you. There is another local Alberta gent here named Todd Pettinger and I know he also frequents deVine's wine shop in Edmonton. You two should get some Forumites together to enjoy some Port. I look forward to seeing you again, as I will be up there to lead another Port tasting in November. It is going to be a really great one this year, so I highly encourage you to get signed up early, while the going is good. Ed would kill me for spilling the beans so I will keep my trap shut.

Roy Hersh wrote:Bob,

Great to have you posting here and thank you. There is another local Alberta gent here named Todd Pettinger and I know he also frequents deVine's wine shop in Edmonton. You two should get some Forumites together to enjoy some Port. I look forward to seeing you again, as I will be up there to lead another Port tasting in November. It is going to be a really great one this year, so I highly encourage you to get signed up early, while the going is good. Ed would kill me for spilling the beans so I will keep my trap shut.

Hi Bob!! Good to see you around after seeing the 'location' registered but dormant for a while! :) We will indeed have to get together.

And Roy - c'mon man... gimme hints!!! Nah, I'll be surprised when I get there!

(Hey.. who you calling a GENT?!?!)

Todd

How cool would it be to fill the Edmonton tasting with FTLOPers. I know of 3 or 4 others card carrying members who will be there from Canada too. Of course, if I could only get them to post here once in a while ...


GENT in your case was meant as: Graham's Enthusiast, Niepoort & Taylor.

I'd also have to vote for crusted. I've never seen a bottle for sale and have wanted to try one for years.