For The Love Of Port

The three bottles of N31 (not NN) sold at Paris yesterday realised 1700,1600,1600 euros respectively.

Thats about £1100 sterling or just over $2000 US each.

There's yet more N31 - five bottles! - coming to sale at Sotheby's (London) later this month.

Incredibly, of all the pre-war VP offered for sale at auction in the UK so far this year, over two thirds has been N31 or NN31.

Clearly this has become a wine that is too valuable too drink, and as a result is becoming relatively common amongst it's peers - while excellent wines that have not until recently caught the eye of collectors - such as Fonseca '27 - have been drunk to near extinction.

I shall be watching the prices for Taylor '48 at Christies next week with interest. Supported by a glowing rating from Broadbent; this wine may, over the next few years, - be elevated to dizzy heights while N31 fades.

Tom

Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about trying to find the lot price for myself, so you've saved me the bother.

£635 - £2,000 per bottle (inc. bp) was the price achieved a couple of weekends ago in the New York sales so the prices in Paris yesterday are at least consistent with this.

So, we can be pretty sure that if you want to drink a glass of Noval Nacional 1931, it will cost you approximately £120 / E170 / $215!

Alex

The NN31's are the only port lots at Christies next week where the bidding is likely to run much ahead of the top estimate.

Unless some incredible value attaches to a 58yr old crate, the case of Graham '48 (lot 39) is on an estimate that by my reckoning is fully 100% over the odds - it's not even a proper case, as there are two different bottlings inside.

As there's VAT payable on the bid price, I would give it an estimate of £2600 - £3200, but it's down at £6000 - £8000!

- Odd!

Tom

So how many bottles of the '31 NN are on the block?

I have seen '27 Fonseca sold in the US for $2k recently. Taylor '48 is great but I am not so sure that I wouldn't prefer the '45, although quibbling about minute differences. Someday, I'll get to try a bottle of that elusive '27 Fonseca.

As far as the regular bottling of Noval '31, you should buy a bottle with 4-6 of you splitting the cost and enjoy something remarkable!