For The Love Of Port

Well, so much for "holding them back a decade" prior to release, as Paul Symington had mentioned.

I think that he mentioned that those two would be the only ones released now, and the others would be held back? I'm a little hazy though and could be mistaken.

Jay

I'm a little hazy though and could be mistaken.

Jay,

Thank god for notebooks!

Reminds me of the song, "I can see clearly now, Port haze is gone."

I think that you both have part of the truth about single Quinta release. If we go back 10-15 years ago, they would held the bottles in their cellars/lodges for at least 10 years or when they felt the bottle was mature.

I don't think this is the case anymore, or they have change the definition of mature SQ VP according to a market that wants to drink its VP younger. I had the same discussion 2 years ago at Taylor about Vargellas and they told me that the demand from the market and the pressure from the merchant for the product are changing the tradition of releasing SQ VP at "maturity".

I think that right now it is not true anymore for Graham's either. Right now they started to realease some Malvedos 2001 that is really not matured or nearly 10 years old.

My recollection - crystal clear as I was totally unaffected by the rumoured port haze and stories of my snoring in the minibus on the way back to the hotel are wildly exaggerated - was that the shippers would release their wines en primeur where there was the demand, but would also hold parcels back for later release if the early demand wasn't there.

Alex

I just ordered one bottle Quinta do Noval 2004. I try to buy just one bottle from several producers. But reading your posts from the port trip it made clear that Noval is from good quality in 2004, so I ordered already.
PS. The price was € 84,=. I think this is really expensive, otherwise I would perhaps have bought two bottles.

Michael,

84 Euros seems very expensive for the Noval 2004. Although I'm not buying any of the Noval, I am paying much less for the 2004's that I am buying. Have you looked on wine-searcher or looked around for an alternative supplier?

Alex

I just picked up a 1/2 case of 2004 Quinta do Vesuvio for $45.00 (US) a bottle.

BUT WAIT, thats not all....you get their infamous (well sorta) wood presentation case, bin marker, some product placement thing, and that cool book about the Quinta which is bound to the inside lid by leather straps. 8)

Andy V. wrote:I just picked up a 1/2 case of 2004 Quinta do Vesuvio for $45.00 (US) a bottle.

BUT WAIT, thats not all....you get their infamous (well sorta) wood presentation case, bin marker, some product placement thing, and that cool book about the Quinta which is bound to the inside lid by leather straps. 8)

......and if they hadn't given you all that crap it might hae been $40 a bottle instead of $45 :x

Derek

In The Netherlands there is only one chain of shops who can supply Noval. All other shops aren't authorised. So there is not much to choose if the price doesn't fit me.
I'm afraid that all will be gone quickly, so I just bought one.
I also got the impression that Noval would be of exceptional quality, but of course they always say that.
For the other producers I will wait on Roy's review and the different prices from shops around.
Vesuvio is also on my wish list and maybe some less known producers as Quinta do Portal, Pintas etc.

Thanks for all your replies.
PS. I have a case of 2003 Vesuvio, it is a nice box. I don't know what a bin marker is, but I'm sure it tastes well.

Derek, i know but the box is cool. Too bad it is out of view and safely locked away in my storage unit for 20+ years.

Michael,
You can try and eat the bin marker, but you will need a trip to the dentist for dentures afterwards. The bin marker is the ceramic label that came inside of the 6-pack Vesuvio box. It has the vintage year and Quinta do Vesuvio on it, with a hole in the top to hang it by. It comes in all the 6-pack boxes, so if it isn't there someone took it out before you got it...hope thats not the case.

No, No,

It's in there. I did not know it was called a bin marker.

I love that cool box, long may it stay. And if its puts Derek off buying the Vesuvio wines then that simply means there's more for me and Andy 8)

A little more seriously, I do like the box. I know it probably costs me an extra $30 per half case, but I don't care. I love the way the boxes look, I love having them around the house being reused for other things and I don't want them to go. Neither do I want those boxes to get cheapened or show signs of being subject to "cost-cutting redesign". Which reminds me - Andy - what does the box look like now? Does it still have the lovely polished brass fittings or does it have different fittings this year? :?

And while I'm on my soapbox I will also have a grumble about the fact that Andy's got his wines already and my merchants are still dithering about how many cases to order from the Symingtons. Roll on the days of selling direct off a mailing list.....

.....ah! I feel better now.

Alex

Alex,
I'll check the hinges..but the rest was the same cool box.

Don't fret to much, I checked with my regular retailer and they will not be getting them either. had to go to a back up. Matter of fact only a few places around me got them in. Seems most stores are still overstocked on the 2003's and the Vesuvio hasn't gotten a high score from Parker or Wine Spectator (not sure if they've been reviewed, but that was what I was told).

bridgema wrote: I know it probably costs me an extra $30 per half case, but I don't care. I love the way the boxes look, I love having them around the house

So, now I understand a little more about that OVD (Obsessive Vesuvio Disorder) you suffer from, Alex - you are trying to build a house out of Vesuvio boxes 8)

But if we are being serious, I would like to have the option of buying Vesuvio in a cardboard box at $30 less per 6 pack. If others wish to spend $30 a time buying nice boxes then that's fine, I just wish we didn't all have to pay the extra if we would rather have more VP than wood :?

Derek

we keep the kids wooden railway in them...goes wonderfully with the furniture and oak floor. But I tend to agree...there is only so much track you need to store and I'd be happy to choose. I see Berry's are offering us the chance to buy more!

Derek,

Perhaps these fancy boxes are for maturing the Vesuvio wines in .... so that we can then all say that we also have Vesuvio wines that have been matured in the wood

Alex

Alex,

Over the past few months you have offered me various reasons/excuses for your cronic OVD but this is by far the worst yet :?

Have you thought about ordering a 6 foot long version of the Vesuvio case for personal use a few decades from now? Surely that would be the ultimate expression of your obsession

Derek

I have too many of these wooden boxes from 1994 on and the bin markers etc. I don't mind paying extra for them at all. They fit perfectly above my top shelf in my cellar and just under the ceiling, so all is good. I keep one as a book end for all of my Port books and keep very sacred Port documents and letters in it. My little treasure chest.


Fred wrote:

I don't think this is the case anymore, or they have change the definition of mature SQ VP according to a market that wants to drink its VP younger.

This is absolutely contrary to what we were told by Paul Symington. They are obviously releasing some of the 2004 SQVPs on the market now in the USA and typically in Jan/Feb of 2007 in the UK. But the rest he said would be held for a decade to allow them to reach the market with some bottle maturity. Am I the only one who heard this during our Gaia visit to Graham's Lodge?

Roy Hersh wrote: Am I the only one who heard this during our Gaia visit to Graham's Lodge?

I heard this too, Roy, but it must have been at Vesuvio as I wasn't with you in Gaia

Derek