For The Love Of Port

We have many new participants and many of the old guard have seen their cellars grow by leaps and bounds over the past 4.5 years since was created. I'd really like to see what the oldest Vintage Port and Oldest Colheita are in our cellars.

Please don't be embarrassed if it is something in the 1980s or 1990s. Who cares, it is not a "mine is better than yours competition" it is about gauging what is out there in our collective cellars. This type of post makes a great historical record and when we look back at a similar post from a few years back, we can see how the cellars here have grown in depth.

Fire away when ready. Thanks for participating.

I have a handful of old Colheitas that are tied: 1937 Moreira, 1937 Noval, and 1937 Warre. Those three edge out my 1938 Kopke for the honors. The Kopke, however, is my single most expensive bottle.

My VPs aren't nearly as old, and there are fewer of them. I have three 1960 Crofts and one 1960 Taylor, all four of which were purchased in anticipation of my parents' 50th anniversary next year. And yes, I do also have a Porto Rocha Glorious 50th Anniversary tawny for that occasion.

Have a 1937 Kopke Colheita. Vintage-wise a 1935 Sandemans (picked it up at auction after having it Seattle earlier this year) along with a 1935 Cockburn.

I had a 1960 Taylor VP, but enjoyed it earlier this year, so for now my oldest VP is a 1965 Graham's Malvedos. On the Colheita side I have 1950 Moreira and a 1960 Niepoort. But the oldest tawny I have is in fact a 40+ Calem bottled in 1989. It might not be any good, but it probably is older than the Moreira.

I am guessing 1963 Croft is my oldest port and I do not age any Colheitas. The brunt of my collection is either 80's or '94.

Eric Ifune wrote:Have a 1937 Kopke Colheita. Vintage-wise a 1935 Sandemans (picked it up at auction after having it Seattle earlier this year) along with a 1935 Cockburn.

Those are two great vintages!

1963 Delaforce VP (drinking one of two tonight)
1991 Niepoort Colheita

Moses Botbol wrote:... and I do not age any Colheitas.

I can't say I do either. I own the two listed, and one more bottle, a 1987 Kopke. I suspect at least two will be gone in six months or less, perhaps replaced with something else.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:... and I do not age any Colheitas.

I can't say I do either. I own the two listed, and one more bottle, a 1987 Kopke. I suspect at least two will be gone in six months or less, perhaps replaced with something else.

Mine aren't in my fridge to age, they're in my fridge to ensure that I have them when I want them.

In the case of my 1964s, that coincidentally means that they're going to age as I only drink one bottle per year. But since I can't be certain that Krohn or Noval will conveniently release new stocks of their Colheitas every year, I have to buy them up when I see them at a reasonable price so that I have bottles to open on my birthday for the coming decades!

I must be the baby of the group. I have two 1991 VP's: Dow's and Croft. The Croft is for Christmas this year - any suggestions as to how long to decant? I had a Smith Woodhouse from 1985 - drank it two summers ago and loved it. That was the only bottle I owned that i've opened. After that i will have a few 1994's so I must buy something older, because they won't be opened for ages.

My oldest Colheita is the 1937 Noval. The next oldest is the 1986 Delaforce.

The oldest Vintages, currently, are 1970 Dow and 1970 Fonseca, followed by 1977 Croft and 1977 Taylor. The oldest vintage I have ever consumed is the 1963 Fonseca, though I have no bottles of this left. Maybe one day I will have an opportunity to sample one of the great older Vintages.

-- Gary

My oldest bottle is a White's of Liciester 1873 VP (an old UK wine merchant). I have an 1888 Auzzie port and then a gap of more than half a century to the next oldest, which is a Taylor "Special Quinta" 1950.

My oldest Colheitas are from my birth year, 1965. I have Krohn, which is very good, and Feist, which is not. I used to have a Niepoort 1957 but Roy and I took care of that a couple of years ago to celebrate his and its 50th birthdays

Incidentally, in the 4.5 years since was created my cellar has grown from around 12 bottles of VP to around 500 - not counting the 300 to 400 I have opened over that period...

Oldest VP is a 1970 Fonseca, although that will only be true for about 9 more days...

Oldest colheita is 1964 Noval, and that will only be true for about 9 more days as well. Then a 68 Noval and a handful of 87 Barros.

I jointed FTLOP almost exactly 1 year ago with 4 bottles of port to my name, that I had just purchased. Now I would guess I have about 35 or so.

Derek T. wrote:Incidentally, in the 4.5 years since was created my cellar has grown from around 12 bottles of VP to around 500 - not counting the 300 to 400 I have opened over that period...

A slippery slope indeed!

John B. wrote:I must be the baby of the group. I have two 1991 VP's: Dow's and Croft. The Croft is for Christmas this year - any suggestions as to how long to decant? I had a Smith Woodhouse from 1985 - drank it two summers ago and loved it. That was the only bottle I owned that i've opened. After that i will have a few 1994's so I must buy something older, because they won't be opened for ages.

First, those all sound good to me. I loved the 1985 Smith Woodhouse and wish I had more of it.

I have quite a few 1994s. Some will need to age, but some are very drinkable now. I'll be drinking the 1994 Martinez regularly. The Quinta do Vesuvio is very drinkable, but will age well, so I'll have to resist drinking it sooner rather than later. Now if you have a Taylor, I say let that one age.

1965 Krohn Colheita
1975 Graham Vintage

Have a merry christmas

-Lars

1920 Croft VP

At least, i hope so because there is no label anymore but just a sticker which says 1920 Croft. The good news is that it is a sticker from Christies, so who knows ?

Erik:

What does the capsole look like on the Croft 1920?

Moses:

like this.

Bryan H. wrote: I jointed FTLOP almost exactly 1 year ago with 4 bottles of port to my name, that I had just purchased. Now I would guess I have about 35 or so.

NICE!!