For The Love Of Port

Hi all, and so glad am I to have found this place so that I can educate myself more about a relatively recent realization that port is just an absolutely beautiful drink!

In two weeks I will be going to a dinner with someone who like myself is a fan of port. Her palette and knowledge is much greater than mine however.
The restaurant has the following VP's on their list;

1980 Gould Campbell : 150$ CDN
1980 Smith Woodhouse: 152$ CDN
1985 Warre's: 179$ CDN
1994 Grahams: 214$ CDN
1977 Warre's: 245$ CDN

I was wondering which you would recommend from the first 3--I can't afford the other two at restaurant markup!

Also, should I alert the sommelier the day before of my intention to get a particular bottle so that he can prepare... standing the bottle up, decanting ahead of time etc.

Any advice etc would be most appreciated for someone who is trying to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible!

Thanks

ds

Bernard,

Please do me a favor and go back to your profile and put your real name (first and last ... so they will appear with every post). Thanks, and welcome to the fun we're having here!


To answer your question:

It is a simple choice. The 1980 Smith Woodhouse is a very fine bottle and considerably better than the Gould Campbell in my opinion. The '85 Warre's would not deliver the same quality and the Graham's although great, is very young and won't impress her as much (considering she is Port savvy) and the '77 Warre's is at its apex now but a bit steeply priced. It would be my 2nd choice, but a distant one to the SW '80 which is a heck of a bargain for a 25 year old delicious Port. I would call the restaurant and ask them to decant your bottle 5-6 hours before the time you are planning to start drinking dessert, so it will show beautifully by the time you start to drink it.

Thanks Roy

I imagine that I will pay a visit to this restaurant a few days ahead of time to ensure that they have the bottle and talk to the sommelier... I have not dined there before and imagine that me calling and asking them to open and decant it before showing up would make them cautious--I will most likely have to pay ahead of time to ensure that they do decant it many hours early.

Thanks for the feedback; I'll make sure to give some comments about my impressions of it.

Ooooh, I dunno. My choice would be the 1985 Warres; I have to disagree with Roy on that -- the '85 Warres is drinking beautifully now.

You might also try making a copy of this post in the regular Port forum to get more responses. The more opinions the better.

--A

Bernard,

I would also go with the Smith Woodhouse 1980 although I do (really) like the Warre's '85 - but that has a lot to do with the fact that Warre's style is one that hits the right notes for me, personally.

I agree that you will probably have to pay for the port in advance if you want the restaurant to open and decant it for you half a day in advance, but you might find that they are willing to do this by credit card over the phone.

Last time I did something similar to you was when I was eating in a Smith & Wollensky's in New York - I had them open and decant a Warre '77 6 hours before our meal reservation and then had that as the wine to go with the steaks we ate.

Let us know what you think of the wine when you have been to the restaurant with your friend.

Alex

Alex,

How did you like the VP pairing with steak?

Interestingly, they've added a 1980 Grahams to the list now... not aware of their price on it however, but since I was going to give her a bottle of that as a gift for her birthday that night anyway, I may choose to

a) stay away from it since we will have it for later that weekend perhaps

b) have it and know what it is like and know that we have that bottle stashed away to have at our leisure at a special time.

Would this addition change anyones preference on what to get that night?

Bernard,

I've just drunk a bottle of the Grahams 1980 and have one left in my cellar. It is a wonderful wine and is drinking superbly at the moment.

I did post a tasting note on this wine a while back - if you do a seach, you should find it relatively easily.

Its also a wine that Roy has a tasting note on in the tasting notes linked to the home page of this website.

Alex

Roy,

Steak and port is a combination that I often go for and one which I frequently enjoy - at home or in a restaurant.

It just seems to raise a few eyebrows in most restaurants when I decide that this is what I want to drink with my meal.

Alex

bridgema wrote:Roy,

Steak and port is a combination that I often go for and one which I frequently enjoy - at home or in a restaurant.

It just seems to raise a few eyebrows in most restaurants when I decide that this is what I want to drink with my meal.

Alex

I did this once too and got quite a funny look from the waitress. I will say they make a great combo for dinner.

Towards the end of the period in England when wars with France prevented supplies of Claret and Burgundy, having dry table wine with food at dinner was seen as a bit radical. Note the following quote from "The Last Chronicle of Barset", Anthony Trollope 1867:


"After that there was a pause, and Mr Toogood pushed about the old port, and made some very stinging remark as to the claret-drinking propensities of the age. 'Gladstone claret the most of it is, I fancy,' said Mr Toogood. 'I find that port wine which my father bought in the wood five-and-twenty years ago is good enough for me.'"


There are many brilliant port and other wine quotes in Trollope's writing, which other port enthusiats would enjoy; I recommend them.

Stuart,

That's an interesting thought. With 10 days off work over the Christmas period, I might borrow one of Trollope's books from the library rather than read the latest John Grisham, as I had planned.

Alex

bridgema wrote:Stuart,

That's an interesting thought. With 10 days off work over the Christmas period, I might borrow one of Trollope's books from the library rather than read the latest John Grisham, as I had planned.

Alex

Also try "Orley Farm" which has wonderful references to Mr Furnival's inability to resist the "bottle with the green foil" at his club. I think of him whenever I contemplate a bottle of Taylors.

1980 Gould Campbell : 150$ CDN
1980 Smith Woodhouse: 152$ CDN
1985 Warre's: 179$ CDN
1994 Grahams: 214$ CDN
1977 Warre's: 245$ CDN

I recently had the SW 80 as part of a tasting that included Graham's 83, Dow's 85 and Warre 94. And the SW was the one a would have ranked last that evening. The 85's are definetly ready now and that's the one I would suggest you take. Decanted before you start drinking it.

good luck
paba