For The Love Of Port

I hosted a dinner party at the weekend and needed a solid after dinner port to go around 10 people - ended up buying a magnum of Fortnum and Mason's own label 1999 VP (£55 i think) on recommendation (from a BBR chap...) - "produced and bottled" by Niepoort.

I hadn't expected fireworks but this was excellent. Far too drunk by the time of tasting for proper TNs (England had beaten Wales at the rugger earlier!) but it was genuinely good and i will definitely buy again and give a proper write-up when in a better state - i may also taste alongside the Niepoort "97 (which was hiterto my only experience of Niepoort VP). I would definitely recommend as worth a try to other London-based FTLOPers.

By all accounts '99 was an excellent year and overlooked partially because the 2000 vintage, in addition to being fantastic, also had the millenium number.

My question is whether anyone has can recommend some other known single quinta or merchant-labelled ports from '99 that are worth a go? Or other overlooked years/ producers that cost-conscious buy-to-drink port lovers should keep an eye out for? Having tasted this, I'm sure that there must be other great pockets of value that are worth trying.

I should add, obviously, that the selection ultimately backfired as i had to crack open a bottle of Taylor's 10 and Noval 20 straight after when everyone decided that they would, actually, like a bit more port!!

Rob C. wrote:
By all accounts '99 was an excellent year and overlooked partially because the 2000 vintage, in addition to being fantastic, also had the millenium number.

My question is whether anyone has can recommend some other known single quinta or merchant-labelled ports from '99 that are worth a go? Or other overlooked years/ producers that cost-conscious buy-to-drink port lovers should keep an eye out for? Having tasted this, I'm sure that there must be other great pockets of value that are worth trying.

1999 was a good year and often overlooked in light of 2000, 2003, 2005 (SQVP's), and now 2007. I've enjoyed Quinta do Vesuvio and Quinta do Roriz as well from this vintage.

After enquiry, turns out it is re-badged Secundum.

I was very impressed with it. They move on to the 2000 soon as the '99s are nearly done.

I am a big fan of some 1999 Vintage Ports, but I have written this here many times in the past, so please excuse me as I wind up having to do this often ... either due to a new member requesting same info or lack of remembering posting it before ... here.

Anyway, if I were to round out some of my favorites from 1999, in addition to your aforementioned Niepoort ... from memory of my order of preference, my top 3 would be:

1999 Quinta do Portal
1999 Quinta do Vesuvio
1999 Ferreira

Roy, where do you put the '99 Crasto vintage? I have not tasted it in a while and most likely did not write a note on it. I would think that it would be a early drinker.

Michael

Rob C. wrote:I hosted a dinner party at the weekend and needed a solid after dinner port to go around 10 people - ended up buying a magnum of Fortnum and Mason's own label 1999 VP (£55 i think) on recommendation (from a BBR chap...) - "produced and bottled" by Niepoort.

£55 for a magnum of Niepoort Secundum 1999 is a very attractive price - and better than I would have expected from Fortnums! I must call in next time I am in London.

Given the reputation of the corks used for bottling the 1997 Niepoort, my only Niepoort ports from that vintage are a handful of bottles of the Fortnums own label which I am hoping were bottled and corked at a slightly different time from the Niepoort labelled wines.