For The Love Of Port

Jasper A. wrote:Anyone saw this already? http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2015/12/ ... r-strongly

There is going to be an auction in february for a Pipe of 1963 fonseca port (about 400 bottles). Interesting to see what the taste will be, like an old colheita?

Andy Velebil wrote:My reading it was bottled in 1966, so it's still a VP and not a Colheita.

Most of the auction houses will take a break until the new year, but Port lovers should keep an eye out for Bonham's sale in February. The London auction will feature a pipe of the 1963 Fonseca Vintage Port – or about 400 bottles.

The pipe was shipped to the UK in 1966, bottled and laid down in a private cellar. The 1963 vintage was classed as one of the best of the century, so interest is expected to be strong.

The pipe, a cask containing almost 60 cases or 700 bottles, was shipped to the UK in 1966 – costing only £252, or the equivalent of just over seven shillings (36p) for each bottle. The Port was then bottled and cellared at a family home.

Bonhams is to sell 468 bottles from the pipe in 12-bottle lots at its fine wine sale in London on 18 February 2016, with each dozen estimated to fetch £1,400-1,600. The family owners are keeping 200 bottles back.

‘The Fonseca 1963 is my reference vintage Port, made by my father Bruce,’ said David Guimaraens, technical director and head winemaker of Fonseca owner The Fladgate Partnership – and the sixth generation of the Guimaraens family to be involved in Port.

‘If any of the vintage Ports that I make during my career are as spectacular as this 1963 after 50 years, then I will feel satisfied with what I have achieved.’

Richard Harvey MW, Bonhams director of wine, added: ‘It’s very unusual to find a pipe of Port almost untouched. The fact that it is Fonseca 1963, one of the truly great Ports of the 20th century, is even more astonishing and will excite the interest of Port lovers everywhere.’

Exporting Port in pipes to the UK, where importers would then bottle the wine for their clients, was commonplace until 1974, with well-to-do families ‘laying down’ a pipe of Port for new-born children or godchildren.

The rules governing the production of Port now forbid any exports in bulk, however.

Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/bonha ... hFKgM04.99

Eric Ifune wrote:Do we know who bottled it?

Roy Hersh wrote:The follow up mentioned the family is holding back 200 bottles. Andy then wrote: The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

So is the latter info coming from, "Frank"?



Also, those mentioning early in the thread, COLHEITA ... I was shaking my head thinking, did you guys even bother to read the offering? Thanks Andy for setting the record straight, although quite obvious if one actually reads the offering and mention of the 1966 bottling. It would be interesting to note what month it was bottled and then taste one of those vs. an ex-cellars bottling to see if there is a difference in the profile, albeit at this point, bottle variation could account for that.

Andy Velebil wrote: My bad (good catch) meant to say 2.5 are gone (I also typo'd). Here's the math...

About 700 bottles bottled in 1966. That's 58.33333 cases (lets round down to 58)

468 bottles being sold. That's 39 cases

58-39= 19 cases left

200 bottles are being kept by the family. That's 16.666 cases (lets just say 16.5)

16.5-19= 2.5 cases which are unaccounted for (drunk by family??)

drunk by family?

Roy Hersh wrote:The follow up mentioned the family is holding back 200 bottles. Andy then wrote: The family is only keeping roughly 3 case (before counting any that may have been already consumed).

So is the latter info coming from, "Frank"?



Also, those mentioning early in the thread, COLHEITA ... I was shaking my head thinking, did you guys even bother to read the offering? Thanks Andy for setting the record straight, although quite obvious if one actually reads the offering and mention of the 1966 bottling. It would be interesting to note what month it was bottled and then taste one of those vs. an ex-cellars bottling to see if there is a difference in the profile, albeit at this point, bottle variation could account for that.

Moses Botbol wrote:That '63 Fonseca is more marketing than anything different than any other '63 Fonseca IMO.

Edward J wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:That '63 Fonseca is more marketing than anything different than any other '63 Fonseca IMO.

I would agree with the whole "Pipe" angle, great marketing. However what makes this a bit different is all these bottles have been in the same place all those years.