For The Love Of Port

Blicker Pierce Wagner has Heitz Port Napa Valley, 1994 for $39.00. These bottles are from the Barney Rhodes cellar, so the storage is good. How about the wine itself? Has anyone had this? I picked up two bottles on a whim, but I'm wondering if I should get more.

Thought the Rhodes cellar was sold out. I bid on some items, but was way out bid. Don't think Joe Heitz ever made a bad wine.

I don’t know the whole story, but have received several e-mails from BP, "This is our first offering from the Rhodes cellar," etc. Each then talks about the cellar and the wines.

Barney Rhodes was a SERIOUS Port and Madeira lover, although he had few left of either at the end of his life. I have heard stories of his love for both for many years. In fact, if you want to see how serious he was about it, he was a frequent participant in drinking with and inviting Michael Broadbent to some pretty amazing parties and vice versa. I've heard most of my info from Michael's son Bartholomew. Interestingly, if you look at the wines from the Rhodes' cellar, so many of them show signs of seepage, that it makes me wonder if he only used a cool, passive cellar. I had purchased a few bottles of the 1994 Heitz as well, but then my email never made it to BP and I never heard back from them.

I am a big fan of BP and have known Stefan going back long before there was a FTLOP. He was a "mystery guest" at one of my year end tastings in 2004 or 2005, but I had been buying wine from him for several years ... 2 companies ago, before he started BP. He is a great guy, and takes amazing care of his good customers. His business ethics are top notch, imo, only matched by RWC. I always have said, if you want to know if you are dealing with a great wine retailer ... just see how they handle things, when a delivery goes badly or a serious issue comes to light. That separates the good from the lousy, but more so, the good from the great.

Roy Hersh wrote: Interestingly, if you look at the wines from the Rhodes' cellar, so many of them show signs of seepage, that it makes me wonder if he only used a cool, passive cellar.

I saw that too and had the same thought. There was some things listed for sale that shouldn't have been showing signs of seepage at such a relatively young age.

I remember in Hugh Johnson's video series "Wine" he is at a Madeira tasting with Dr. Rhodes. I'll have to haul out the old VHS tapes and player and look at it again.

Eric,

Not sure but that could have been either the Savannah GA, Madeira Society tasting ... that most private of old Madeira "clubs." Not sure, as I haven't watched that in over a decade. I still have the VHS series somewhere, which was very good.


I received my 3 bottles of the 1994 Heitz. Although they use a bunch of different cultivars used in the Douro, there was no bottling date and I am curious so I reached out to someone to find out for me. Very heavy glass.