For The Love Of Port

I have heard of clean/new stockings, metal coffee filters, paper (unbleached) coffee filters, rinsed out new coffee filters, cheescloth and even paper towels ... crammed inside Port funnels. Do you use anything at all, and if so ... what works best for you?

I've used an old white t-shirt, but it filters too much and ends up taking for forever. Muslin is best, with cheese cloth just behind.

My funnel has a fine mesh that seems to catch most of the sediment, so I haven't needed to add anything. I just eyeball the pour while I'm doing it, and as soon as I see sediment in the pour itself I stop and pour the rest of the bottle (usually just a couple of ounces) into a lowball.

I let the lowball sit propped at a slight angle for an hour or so, then sip the port off the top as my first tasting. The slight angle helps the sediment collect in one place which makes it easier to drink from the glass without stirring it up again.

I'm not affraid of sediments, too often recently I did not have the time to rest the bottle up a few hours before opening it and noticed that the sediments were really stuck in the bottle anyway. Just don't shake it as you remove it from the cellar and it does not make much difference than standing it up for 24 hours.

When I pour it into the decanter, I use a funnel or plain nothing and my eyes are watching the liquid transfering. Just like Glenn, as soon as I see some sediments, I stop and pour the remaining in a glass for a first sip a few minutes later.

A funnel and a fine mesh , c'est simple . . .

Luc Gauthier wrote:A funnel and a fine mesh , c'est simple . . .

This is my normal method. I use a Screwpull decanting funnel - great value at around £20.

If I need to decant a bottle that has been transported to an off-line I use unbleached coffe filters in a large plastic collapsible funnel that was kindly gifted to be by Mr JDA Wiseman.

JDAW and others recently carried out a comprehensive and completely obsessive experiment to determine if their was a significant impact on the taste of a VP using 4 different decanting methods, including the traditional free pour all the way through to coffee filters. The concensus was that there was no appreciable impact on the wine regardless of the method used.

Derek

Just a pretty fine screen mesh that came with my funnel with a light to watch for sediment generally. I do add cheesecloth for older Ports or those I know to throw a particularly high level of sediment.

I’m with Frederick. Although I’ve tried cheesecloth and paper filters, I generally just use a funnel (and sometimes a tea strainer to catch any bits of cork if it disintegrated). If the sediment is not so stuck to the bottle that there’s more than a tea-spoon of undrinkable liquid left, I might decant the last bit separately through some sort of filter for a “sample” glass.

-Jacob

I fret using the free pour method as the port does not always flow free then the top is broken off with the tongs and should any glass get into the port, I feel an obligation to my guests to attempt to strain it out.

How much loose glass do you get with the tongs? I haven’t tried it myself and assumed that it was a clean break. I wonder if the folks who go in for sabrage have the same problem...

JacobH wrote:How much loose glass do you get with the tongs? I haven’t tried it myself and assumed that it was a clean break. I wonder if the folks who go in for sabrage have the same problem...

Probably none, but just to appease the crowd, and I filter it either way. Even less of a chance with sabrage as some of the wine comes out with the cork (at least on Champagne, have not tried this on still wines).

I think sabrage relies on there being some pressure inside the bottle so it wouldn’t work with still wine...then you really would be slicing the top of the bottle with the sabre!

-Jacob

JacobH wrote:I think sabrage relies on there being some pressure inside the bottle so it wouldn’t work with still wine...then you really would be slicing the top of the bottle with the sabre!

-Jacob

That is what I thought too, but actually, one is cleaving the end off the bottle, not slicing it. I think the shape of the bottle would make it hard as it would be difficult to build momentum on the seam with port bottle. I have read posts on FTLOP where people do it, I am hesitant to try. I've sabrage 1K+ bottles of Cristal and not thought twice, but would shy away on trying it on a $20 bottle of LBV...

I only filter for fine sediment. I just decant for larger particles. When filtering, I use surgical sponges. Unused ones that is.

Moses Botbol wrote: I've sabrage 1K+ bottles of Cristal

Moses, that is one seriously expensive Champers habit you have or are you doing this professionally and others have the pleasure of paying for and drinking the contents?

Derek

Eric Ifune wrote:I only filter for fine sediment. I just decant for larger particles. When filtering, I use surgical sponges. Unused ones that is.

Lah-dih-dah ... Your Majesty.

Did you know that Eric was a surgeon who just came back from Afghanistan where he performed hundreds of life saving operations on Afghani's, Americans and anyone else who needed medical attention over there? No, of course not. :hello:

Welcome back Nikolaj!

Roy Hersh wrote:I have heard of clean/new stockings, metal coffee filters, paper (unbleached) coffee filters, rinsed out new coffee filters, cheescloth and even paper towels ... crammed inside Port funnels. Do you use anything at all, and if so ... what works best for you?

Nope, a funnel and a steady hand. That's all.