Hi All,
I am VERY new to the world of Port and I wonder if you could help me? My Father-In-Law recently passed away and while clearing his house my wife found seven bottles of vintage port. These are:
* Ferreira 1960 Vintage - this bottle looks like it has leaked slightly and the top of the bottle is mouldy!
*Croft 1963 x 2
* Grahams 1963
* Rebello Valente 1966 (bottled 1968)
* Grahams 1970 (bottled 1972)
*Offley Boa Vista 1970 (bottled 1972)
I am afraid that I do not know much about wine (although I do enjoy a glass of good wine and port!) and I wondered if you would be able to offer us any advice on the following:
* Is the Port still drinkable and if so how long will it keep?
* What would the value of this wines be?
* How would we go about selling them (assuming they are worth something).
Thanks in anticipation.
Kind Regards
Mick
Vintage Port help
Moderators: Glenn E., Roy Hersh, Andy Velebil
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Derek T.
- Posts: 4080
- Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:02 pm
- Location: Chesterfield, United Kingdom - UK
- Contact:
Hi Mick,
Welcome to FTLOP, I wish it could have come about under better circumstances.
Can I firstly just let you know that, despite the "Marketplace" description this isn't really a place where individuals can sell port to members of the Forum. Some of us who are regulars here have done this from time to time but mainly it is a place where we post knowledge of good deals from established wine merchants or auctions. Apologies if selling your bottles here was not your intention but I thought it best to point this out in case it was.
On the value of your bottles, check out http://www.wine-searcher.com you will be able to find prices for each of the bottles you mention on that site. Please note that these will be retail prices and will be well above anything you could get in a private sale.
All of the wines you have listed are ready to drink now but will keep for many years, apart from the one that is leaking.
My advice to you would be to try some port to see if you have a taste for it. If you do, educate yourself on the different styles available and then eventually get around to drinking these bottles in honour of your father in law.
Feel free to stick around here if you want to know more about port. This is a friendly place and we welcome novices and experts alike.
Finally, could you please let us know where you are in the world as it would help others here give you better advice on the options available to you in your part of the world.
Derek
Welcome to FTLOP, I wish it could have come about under better circumstances.
Can I firstly just let you know that, despite the "Marketplace" description this isn't really a place where individuals can sell port to members of the Forum. Some of us who are regulars here have done this from time to time but mainly it is a place where we post knowledge of good deals from established wine merchants or auctions. Apologies if selling your bottles here was not your intention but I thought it best to point this out in case it was.
On the value of your bottles, check out http://www.wine-searcher.com you will be able to find prices for each of the bottles you mention on that site. Please note that these will be retail prices and will be well above anything you could get in a private sale.
All of the wines you have listed are ready to drink now but will keep for many years, apart from the one that is leaking.
My advice to you would be to try some port to see if you have a taste for it. If you do, educate yourself on the different styles available and then eventually get around to drinking these bottles in honour of your father in law.
Feel free to stick around here if you want to know more about port. This is a friendly place and we welcome novices and experts alike.
Finally, could you please let us know where you are in the world as it would help others here give you better advice on the options available to you in your part of the world.
Derek
Hi Mick,
Welcome to FTLOP!
How did you happen to find this place?
Actually, I don't have much of an issue for our regular participants to buy, sell or trade wines back and forth here. However, when someone shows up and their very first post is trying to sell wines from a private lot, that is something we discourage. Nothing personal of course, it is just our way to protect the participants here from the few people who would abuse the privilege.
Let me start by saying that our sympathy goes out to your wife on the passing of her father! I will do my best to shed some light onto your Ports for you. Hopefully, like Derek mentioned, you may see the wisdom in keeping these bottles for special family occasions to toast the life that was your father-in-law. It will be sad for his family at Christmas and therefore, it is always a great time to break out one of these bottles for a toast.
Now onto the Ports:
* Ferreira 1960 Vintage - this bottle looks like it has leaked slightly and the top of the bottle is mouldy!
The best bottles of this wine still show some good flavors and fruit and it is one of the better 1960s today. That said, it is not likely to fetch much money at auction or from a private collector unless you wait until 2010 when somebody might want to grab it for their 50th birthday or anniversary. Drink soon.
*Croft 1963 x 2
I've had mixed success with this and it REALLY depends on how the bottle has been stored. Most of the Croft from this vintage that I have had in the past 10 years has been over the hill. A few showed very well and much younger ... but they have been in the vast minority overall. I am sure you can see how your F.I.L. stored his bottles. If he held them in a temperature controlled environment, they are far more likely to still be drinkable. Worst case scenario is you will have a tasty tawny Port that will still be enjoyable for the uninitiated.
* Grahams 1963
If stored properly this is one of the great bottles that is in this collection. In the past 2 years, I have tasted from 4 bottles of this wine, where it was an absolute gem. Sells for about $250 USD today.
* Rebello Valente 1966 (bottled 1968)
I have never had this wine before so I can't comment.
* Grahams 1970 (bottled 1972)
Another brilliant bottle when stored well. It is a tough choice between this and the 1963 Graham's as both are fantastic and worth enjoying. Sells for about $175 USD today.
*Offley Boa Vista 1970 (bottled 1972) - I have had this only twice, both as parts of verticals of Offley. The most recent was circa 2000 and the '70 was starting to show signs of tiring. I would drink this up as it would have NO value on the auction block and only someone who really had a hankering for Offley's or desired a unique '70 to fit into a horizontal or vertical would be interested.
So, please go back to your profile Mick and put in your location so that we can provide you with better assistance as Derek mentioned.
Again, welcome to the FTLOP!
Welcome to FTLOP!
How did you happen to find this place?
Actually, I don't have much of an issue for our regular participants to buy, sell or trade wines back and forth here. However, when someone shows up and their very first post is trying to sell wines from a private lot, that is something we discourage. Nothing personal of course, it is just our way to protect the participants here from the few people who would abuse the privilege.
Let me start by saying that our sympathy goes out to your wife on the passing of her father! I will do my best to shed some light onto your Ports for you. Hopefully, like Derek mentioned, you may see the wisdom in keeping these bottles for special family occasions to toast the life that was your father-in-law. It will be sad for his family at Christmas and therefore, it is always a great time to break out one of these bottles for a toast.
Now onto the Ports:
* Ferreira 1960 Vintage - this bottle looks like it has leaked slightly and the top of the bottle is mouldy!
The best bottles of this wine still show some good flavors and fruit and it is one of the better 1960s today. That said, it is not likely to fetch much money at auction or from a private collector unless you wait until 2010 when somebody might want to grab it for their 50th birthday or anniversary. Drink soon.
*Croft 1963 x 2
I've had mixed success with this and it REALLY depends on how the bottle has been stored. Most of the Croft from this vintage that I have had in the past 10 years has been over the hill. A few showed very well and much younger ... but they have been in the vast minority overall. I am sure you can see how your F.I.L. stored his bottles. If he held them in a temperature controlled environment, they are far more likely to still be drinkable. Worst case scenario is you will have a tasty tawny Port that will still be enjoyable for the uninitiated.
* Grahams 1963
If stored properly this is one of the great bottles that is in this collection. In the past 2 years, I have tasted from 4 bottles of this wine, where it was an absolute gem. Sells for about $250 USD today.
* Rebello Valente 1966 (bottled 1968)
I have never had this wine before so I can't comment.
* Grahams 1970 (bottled 1972)
Another brilliant bottle when stored well. It is a tough choice between this and the 1963 Graham's as both are fantastic and worth enjoying. Sells for about $175 USD today.
*Offley Boa Vista 1970 (bottled 1972) - I have had this only twice, both as parts of verticals of Offley. The most recent was circa 2000 and the '70 was starting to show signs of tiring. I would drink this up as it would have NO value on the auction block and only someone who really had a hankering for Offley's or desired a unique '70 to fit into a horizontal or vertical would be interested.
So, please go back to your profile Mick and put in your location so that we can provide you with better assistance as Derek mentioned.
Again, welcome to the FTLOP!
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Guest
I have tried both of you Grahams and the Croft; all of which were winners. The 63 Crofts I tried were from the same case and were all outstanding!
I would not sell any of them, but we are all in different predictaments. If your FIL was storing them, it was probably to enjoy and what could be a better memorial than to celebrate his memory with the tipple of his choice?
Please post some tasting notes and welcome to FTLOP.
I would not sell any of them, but we are all in different predictaments. If your FIL was storing them, it was probably to enjoy and what could be a better memorial than to celebrate his memory with the tipple of his choice?
Please post some tasting notes and welcome to FTLOP.