For The Love Of Port

If you were only able to pick ONE Vintage Port to drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Rules: It has to be something you've already had at least once. So no "wish list" Ports allowed

Ohh, I should add that price/availablity is no object, just consider what ever you pick would be given to you for life.

that's easy, 66 dow's 4 me.

easy--1963 fonseca

dave

'77 Fonseca, I love that port!

1970 Fonseca

Price no object ..... then that would be the '63 Nacional.

But I have a real soft spot for the Fonseca '66. My first port case purchase and a fabulous wine that I drink whenever I can now afford to. Sadly, I drink more than I can afford to buy and I only have a handful of bottles left these days.

Alex

W0W! That may be the absolute toughest Port question I have ever pondered.

I am deciding between 3, so I will have to come back to respond.

Roy Hersh wrote:W0W! That may be the absolute toughest Port question I have ever pondered.

Sure is... I know I will change my mind, but right now it would have to be the '63 Croft.

I would've picked the Niepoort '42 Garafeira, but not really a "vintage" port.

Fonseca 1970 for me too!

Paul

It would have to be the 1966 Taylor that I had about 5 years ago. A Berry Brothers and Rudd bottling to be exact. Stunning wine, but for these older bottles, it's all about storage condition...

well, Roy's probably going to go with the 1815 Ferreira, or some other everyday Port, but I think I have to go with the Fonseca 63 as well.
Dave

This is tough, because depending on your life expectancy you would want to make sure that your choice doesn't go over the hill before you do.

Based on planning to live another 30+ years, and since price is no object, I would go with 1927 Taylor. That wine will definitely live another 30 years.

I'd have to go with the '70 Niepoort.

A clever question - reminds me of the printed advice at the top of an exam paper - READ THE QUESTION Undoubtedly the vintage port I have enjoyed the most has been the Dow '63 ( perhaps because I paid £3 per bottle for it). But would I want to drink only that for the rest of my life? Not sure. I think I would come down on the side of a 20 yr old tawny - but that is without the question. Assuming longevity of the port is not an issue (I accept that mine is) I would tend towards a '75 say Dows.

Andy V. wrote:If you were only able to pick ONE Vintage Port to drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hi Andy, I was going to pick 1970 Taylor which is awesome right now and will continue to be awesome for 10 - 20 years. However, I'm not sure it will continue to drink well for the rest of my life which I hope is 50+ years. So, I will have to pick something young that will age gracefully for a long time. I pick 2003 Taylor.

I have not really had the chance to taste a lot of old wines, but I was fortunate to taste the 1963 Nacional and other very good ports when visiting the Quinta in 2002. I was there on a one week trip studying Portuguese wines in general on behalf of the State wine monopoly of Norway ( VInmonopolet ).

Desert island for the rest of my life, Noval Nacional 2000. I'll be able to see it evolve with time :)

1963 Graham

Ok my turn.

1994 Quinta do Noval Nacional It will easily last the rest of my life and is an awsome wine that I could drink until they pry my cold dead fingers from the last bottle!


Keep them coming folks, its great to see the variety everyone has.

I have been lucky enough to have been drinking top vintage ports for thirty years. So my favorite is the 1931 Quinta do Noval. The first time I drank it the bill was only about 60 pounds - cheap enough that just three of us finished the bottle. Several times I have had a bottle with only one other person. So I've been fortunate to have had it many times. These days a bottle is so expensive that I am having one ounce in a tasting rather than drinking it, sadly.

I have had the 31 Nacional twice in tastings comparing it to the regular, and both times the "regular" has been my favorite.

Honorable mention goes to 1970 Taylor and Fonseca since those have been my house ports since the late 1970s when they were only $10 a bottle. They still are holding up wonderfully and will continue to be my house ports for the rest of my life.