ThePortForum.com

Having said that I would love to hear what you're seeing as the relative unknowns (to the less informed UK consumer) that you think are unsung heroes of the LBV market. I'm thinking we should have a tasting event for aspiring LBV producers, from Barao de Vilar to Pacheca to Tecedeiras to Vista Aleg...

There are at present around 100 different LBVs on the market, no fewer than 74 of them stocked by messrs Portugal Vineyards. Of those 74, only 19 have T stopper closures, suggesting most are age worthy wines, but few describe themselves as 'unfiltered'. The 19 however are almost all high volume bran...

Nearly twenty years ago now, I has this little idea.. ..that it would be fun to create a port cellar that could yield a centenarian bottle of VP every year in perpetuity - There's been a bit of mission creep since then.. :roll: With the 1924's now turning 100 I now have over 100 bottles (107 to be p...

Steaks collected, Burton's 14oz fillet as usual.

And this year's cheeses will be:

Village Maid - Maida Vale - ale washed soft cheese

Sparkenhoe - Red Leicester

Northampton Blue - a soft creamy blue cheese

Isle of Mull Cheddar - fairly soft and full flavoured

My bottle selected - suitably ancient, vintage and bottler known, shipper a mystery.

Will prepare the usual fare - Salmon, fillet steaks and chips, vanilla ice cream with gravy, assorted British cheeses and a few mince pies.

I'm wondering whether we might resurrect 'the elegant luncheon' on the day before the Xmas bash - and consume this bottle along with various wines, not necessarily port, at a suitable London venue?

I am late on parade with my annual vintage rankings this year because I'm struggling to make sense of this vintage. On the one hand we have a very small list of declared VPs, this is one of the rare years when the biggest names are offering neither their declared blends nor an SQVP - but on the othe...

So.. not a great year by the sounds of it.

Now the vintage is wrapped up, is it looking like a poor, bad or terrible one?

I hold to the principle that no bottle is too rare or too old to be drunk eventually, but I also maintain the principle that the last bottle from any vintage should be preserved until at least it's 200th year. Thus I have only one bottle of 1923 vintage port - a magnum of Offley - which is now merel...

14th or the 21st or the 28th work for me

I can manage any of those

Tom, This looks like you me and Julian unless a re-jig of the date to allow other friends to attend .... which feels like the right thing to do .....

Agree - dates in mid Nov that work better for people?

OK - looking like the 24th..

..any more takers? My bottle doesn't mind younger friends!

I quite enjoy writing Excel VB code - my magnum opus to date has been a piece of code, now nearly 2000 lines long and with nearly 60 defined variables, whose sole purpose was to choose my next bottle of port to drink at home. It started out quite humbly, and every time I disagreed with it's call, I ...

That does not appear to be the remnants of a Selo. Rather it appears to be an old tax stamp. It also looks like the capsule has already been cut around the base of the t-cork. Better pics are needed. I would love this to be a genuine original bottle - as a collector, 1925 is one of my missing vinta...

The late Michael Broadbent hailed the '55 vintage with the words 'Vintage at last' After a run of good vintages in the 40s, there was a long gap between '48 and the next serious vintage. There's been a similarly long gap today since the last vintage the trade could all rally around. - But what are t...

I've not seen one like it before, so wonder whether it might be a manufacturing error that found its way out into the big bad world. The flat surface looks as though the hot glass got laid on a flat metal surface before it had cooled sufficiently to hold its shape. - Certainly a curiosity to hang onto

I think people vex too much on this issue, especially when handling robust wines, which can include those of some antiquity. When handling very frail wines, both fortfied and non fortified, prior resting for a few months can be very beneficial; but I can't make a scientific case to explain why. I do...

Regret I am going to have to pull out of this one, as I'm wanted in China..

While you are sitting down to enjoy fine VP, I will be having my first experience of flying with Virgin, probably somewhere over India, given that Russia is off limits..

..no idea what port they have on board!

Pretty please.. ..may I provide the Fonseca? My computer has ordered me to drink an F63 this month and it seems an offence against nature to do so on my own, at home.. Forum lurkers out there please note: I am struggling to consume my quota of veteran bottles each year - please step forward and prov...

Stick me on the reserves list pls.

Have an elegant over-sufficiency of '63, so happy to help anyone strugglng for a bottle..

Not that unpleasant to drink if you didn't look at it, but the appearance was terrible. 90% of LBVs at this age would show better. Very poor.

Tom - what time are you planning to arrive at the B&F? Would you like some help setting up, decanting, pouring etc?

Aiming for 16.15

I'm in the office on Thursday so can print the placemats then. Let me know if required.

If you could, that would be much appreciated.

Food order forwarded to B&F