Anyone bidding at Zachy's or Acker Merrall & Condit this month?

[Eric Menchen]

I've put things on watch lists and put in a few bids (not sure if any Port yet). If others are bidding and post here, I'll try not to drive the prices up against a fellow FTLOPers. There is a bunch of old Madeira in the Zachy's zCollections auction with reasonable starting bids. Of course they might end up at ridiculous prices. I did bid on the 1953 and 1955 d'Yquems, which also had very low minimums. And I sent Zachy's an e-mail to get a bottling date on the 1937 Noval Colheita.

[John M.]

I bid a couple on Acker---some 94 Smith W and a small mixed lot with a couple Grahams and a 30 yr Royal Oporto.

[Eric Menchen]

I bid a couple on Acker---some 94 Smith W and a small mixed lot with a couple Grahams and a 30 yr Royal Oporto.

Ah, the half bottles of 94 SW? I have those on my watch list, but hadn't placed a bid yet. I'll avoid them. I wasn't looking at that mixed lot.

To no surprise, most of my bids on 1982 and 1986 first growth Bordeaux at Zachy's have been exceeded by other people, although a couple are still standing. Like the Madeira, these had trivial or no minimums, so I took a shot at them. Who knows--maybe I'll end up with some 1982 Latour or 1986 Lafite Rothschild.

[John M.]

[Eric Menchen]

I have since been outbid on another lot of the Bordeaux. If you saw my lowball bids (for those wines), you wouldn't be impressed.

For the Zachy's zCollections auction, lot 1121, 3x bottles, 750ml, Quinta do Noval Colheita Port 1937--these were bottled in 1996. That makes them less attractive to me and I'm on the fence as to whether they are worth pursuing.

[Eric Menchen]

Congrats on those John. I didn't get any Port in the Zachy's auction. I bought an old sauternes, a few vin de paille, and some half bottles of Amarone.

In Zachy's, I'm contemplating some of the 1955 and 1963 bottles .. and really thinking about the Whitwham's Millenium Port. But that's a six bottle lot. Anyone interesting in splitting it? PM me if you are.

[Jim S.]

I was planning to put in bids on the following:

Madeira Malvazia Welsh Brothers 1906
Madeira Malvasia Blandys 1910
Madeira Sercial Cossart Gordon 1910
Madeira Malmsey Leacock 1952

If FTLOP members can organize which lots they'd like, in order of their preference, maybe each person could focus on their 1 or 2 favorites, with a little less competition.

[Eric Menchen]

Jim, I will defer on all of those Madeiras. I was still considering the Cossart Gordon 1845, Leacock 1872, and Lomelino 1952. But I can skip those too if someone else is interested. I don't have bids in on them yet. My current winning bids are on CdP, Unico, and a few Bordeaux (not the first growths, for which I have been outbid).

[Moses Botbol]

The 1887 Grahams Port; wonder who bought that...

Would make for a nice vertical.

[Eric Menchen]

At Zachy's, I puts in bids on the 2011 Fonseca and the Whitwhams Millenium. For now, those are my only Port bids. If I'm outbid on some other things, I'm still thinking about the 1955 Taylor, the 1963 Dow and Martinez, and maybe Madeira lots 1254 and 1262. None of these have bids yet. I'll defer to FTLOPers that post here. And I'm still open to selling some of the Millenium bottles.

[Mike J. W.]

At the Zachy auction I put bids in on the Dow 1963 and the Fonseca 1966. I don't know that either one will survive the day.

[Eric Menchen]

Good luck Mike. I'll avoid that Dow which was still on my list. I've been outbid on the Millenium and the 2011 Fonseca.

[Mike J. W.]

Good luck Mike. I'll avoid that Dow which was still on my list. I've been outbid on the Millenium and the 2011 Fonseca.

Thanks Eric. That lot of Millenium is really getting up there.

[Eric Menchen]

So the things I was tracking in the end, with my commentary.

• 210 Taylor Fladgate 1955 3x - $329.30 per bottle, seems reasonable.
• 212 Fonseca Vintage Port 2011 6x - $65.87 per bottle, too much for me for an auction price, as I paid $75 at retail. But if you really wanted it, not so bad.
• 1120 Whitwhams Millenium Port 6x - $329.30 per bottle. Still a pretty good price, but I wasn't up for buying six at that price point.
• 1121 Quinta do Noval Colheita Port 1937 3x - $329.30 per bottle. The price is a total steal, IF these were freshly bottled. But they weren't, so it is hard to say; and I stayed away.
• 1126 Martinez 1963 4x - $74.10 per bottle. Also a total steal, but these are very hit or miss, so only the buyer will know for sure.
• 1131 Gould Campbell 1980 5x - $44.46 per bottle. A good deal probably, but these can be found for not too much more at retail, surprisingly.

I ended up with no Port, but some 1998 CdP, a very old Sauternes, and some old Ygay.

[Mike J. W.]

So the things I was tracking in the end, with my commentary.

• 210 Taylor Fladgate 1955 3x - $329.30 per bottle, seems reasonable.
• 212 Fonseca Vintage Port 2011 6x - $65.87 per bottle, too much for me for an auction price, as I paid $75 at retail. But if you really wanted it, not so bad.
• 1120 Whitwhams Millenium Port 6x - $329.30 per bottle. Still a pretty good price, but I wasn't up for buying six at that price point.
• 1121 Quinta do Noval Colheita Port 1937 3x - $329.30 per bottle. The price is a total steal, IF these were freshly bottled. But they weren't, so it is hard to say; and I stayed away.
• 1126 Martinez 1963 4x - $74.10 per bottle. Also a total steal, but these are very hit or miss, so only the buyer will know for sure.
• 1131 Gould Campbell 1980 5x - $44.46 per bottle. A good deal probably, but these can be found for not too much more at retail, surprisingly.

I ended up with no Port, but some 1998 CdP, a very old Sauternes, and some old Ygay.

Lol, I'm the guilty party. I couldn't resist the price on the Gould Campbell '80 so I took a flier and won it. It's a 35% discount off retail so I was happy. It is surprising that they are so cheap at retail, but all the 1980 VP are cheap. I think it's an underrated Vintage.

[Eric Menchen]

Lol, I'm the guilty party. I couldn't resist the price on the Gould Campbell '80 so I took a flier and won it. It's a 35% discount off retail so I was happy. It is surprising that they are so cheap at retail, but all the 1980 VP are cheap. I think it's an underrated Vintage.

Congrats. They are hard to find, but I concur on that. 1980 Dow, Warres, and Gould Campbell are all great.

[Eric Menchen]

There are some interesting lots in this month's Zachy's auction as well. I just put a bid in on the 1963 Fonseca, I have been outbid on some Bordeaux, and I have a winning bid in on some 1998 Dom Ruinart. I was tracking these:

Code: Select all

224 	2 	750ml 	Warres 1994 	$ 70 - 120 	$ 60
228 	9 	750ml 	Warres 2000 	$ 220 - 340 	$ 260
564 	1 	750ml 	Taylor Fladgate 1955 	$ 240 - 400 	$ 180
565 	1 	750ml 	Fonseca 1963 	$ 200 - 300 	Min Bid $ 160
567 	6 	750ml 	Cockburn 1983 	$ 200 - 300 	$ 160
921 	3 	750ml 	Quinta do Noval 1963 	$ 460 - 700 	Min Bid $ 400
944 	3 	750ml 	Dow 1994 	$ 140 - 200 	$ 120
945 	3 	750ml 	Fonseca 1994 	$ 240 - 380 	$ 200
948 	6 	750ml 	Quinta do Noval 2000 	$ 240 - 380 	$ 180
970 	1 	750ml 	Madeira Moscatel Reserva d´Oliveiras 1900 	$ 700 - 1,000 	$ 340

Do I really want 9 bottles of 2000 Warres? If I assume that half of the 1983 Cockburns are corked is that still a good price?
If you don't want to compete on these, or have other thoughts, post here.

[Andy Velebil]

'83 Cockburn's is like 90% corked. Spend money on the Warre's instead, the 2000 is wonderful and still a baby. Or grab the 2000 Noval.

[Mike J. W.]

'83 Cockburn's is like 90% corked. Spend money on the Warre's instead, the 2000 is wonderful and still a baby. Or grab the 2000 Noval.

I went with the 2000 Noval.

[Eric Menchen]

I went with the 2000 Noval.

I think your bid made me strike that one from my list--reasonable price as I recall, but I didn't want to go higher. I didn't end up with any Port, but one Margaux, some 1922 Rioja, an Erasmus, and a mixed lot of 1998 and 2005 CdP.