For The Love Of Port

I was browsing through some of the wine lists of the merchants that I use over the weekend and found myself daydreaming about port (as you do).

It occurred to me that we have this current odd pricing regime where 15-30 year old wines are relatively cheap compared to older or younger vintages.

I vary from month to month as to what I spend my money on and was curious to see how others would spend their money. So, I thought I'll start a poll and see what people say.

Suppose you had won the lottery and had £500 ($900, 700 euro) to spend on port. Given the bottles that you have at the moment, what you are drinking at the moment etc. etc. then how would you rather spend the money?

Nothing serious, just some fun.

Alex

Alex,

Good topic - after some thought I went for the 12 x 1983's - mainly because my main objective at the moment is to build up stock for both current and future drinking. Something like this would give me thew option to drink 6 in the short term and cellar the other half for the future.

In reality, if I was told I had to spend £500 on port I would spend £1000 - my other £500 would probably go on the Fonseca 66's

Derek

I'd go for: "3-4 bottles of something with age, eg. Fonseca 1966"

Mainly because, on a hard economic/accounting analysis, that is the best value when you discount investment returns etc.

Derek Turnbull wrote:Alex,

Good topic - after some thought I went for the 12 x 1983's - mainly because my main objective at the moment is to build up stock for both current and future drinking. Something like this would give me thew option to drink 6 in the short term and cellar the other half for the future.

In reality, if I was told I had to spend £500 on port I would spend £1000 - my other £500 would probably go on the Fonseca 66's

Derek

I agree with Derek, as I am trying to do the same thing. I would also then use whatever money I had already decided to spend that month, of my own money, on getting the 66's

In the last year, I have done all of the above.I bought some 55 Taylor , 4 special bottles. I have bought some 92 Taylor to complete my son's birth year collection. I have added some 2000's. I have added some 83's to our anniversary collection. I have bought some 66's and 63's. At a wine sale this week, a merchant I know well is greatly lowering prices on all manner of ports. I am adding some more in a similar combination.....some 97's, a couple of 66 Dow, some 1994's , 77 SW etc.

My position is , if the value is there, I would buy any combination of the above.

Alex, I also agree with Derek but for a different reason, I foolishly bought up small pockets of port, 2 to 5 bottles at a time, over a twenty year period and most of the 40's, 50's & 60's I bought are now drunk and whereas I am well stocked on 90's and 00 I have virtually no 70's & 80's. A case of drunken port is soon forgotten!