What is wrong with Quarles Harris?
What is wrong with Quarles Harris?
The website of the Symington Family Estates lists eight port names, seven of which have a link to that brand’s website (Graham’s, Warre’s, Dow’s, Smith Woodhouse, Quinta do Vesuvio, Gould Campbell, and Martinez), and one of which that doesn’t have its own website (Quarles Harris). Is QH being deliberately snubbed? Is the brand being allowed to wither for some reason? Why no QH website?
QH not discontinued
Quarles Harris 2003 is available at Nickolls & Perks and at Garrafeira Nacional. So if discontinued, very recently so.
- RonnieRoots
- Fonseca 1980
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- uncle tom
- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
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For a long time QH has been firmly at the bottom of the Symington list of port houses, and until recently was the company name in the small print on products such as Tesco own brand vintage port.
As far as I can make out, the Syms blend a respectable wine for QH labelled product, using the stocks available to them at the time - but do not saddle themselves with a house style for the brand.
Tom
As far as I can make out, the Syms blend a respectable wine for QH labelled product, using the stocks available to them at the time - but do not saddle themselves with a house style for the brand.
Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
I do find this odd. I believe that all of the Symington brands use the same web designer and hosting arrangement, all of the brands being consolidated under their main site http://www.thevintageportsite.co.uk
I can't imagine it would be too much effort to create a QH site by copying and re-branding some of the pages from one of their other sites and adding different content. When they have gone to the trouble of creating sites dedicated to every other brand, why not QH? Doesn't make sense to me.
Derek
I can't imagine it would be too much effort to create a QH site by copying and re-branding some of the pages from one of their other sites and adding different content. When they have gone to the trouble of creating sites dedicated to every other brand, why not QH? Doesn't make sense to me.
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
GC’s site comprises only a few pages under SW.
Derek T. wrote:When they have gone to the trouble of creating sites dedicated to every other brand, why not QH?
GC’s site comprises only a few pages under SW.jdaw1 wrote:Gould Campbell
Re: GC’s site comprises only a few pages under SW.
Precisely. Why not do the same for QH. No more than 3 or 4 days effort at most with no maintenance required.jdaw1 wrote:Derek T. wrote:When they have gone to the trouble of creating sites dedicated to every other brand, why not QH?GC’s site comprises only a few pages under SW.jdaw1 wrote:Gould Campbell
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
I agree. Hence my question.
I agree. Hence my question.
Uncle Tom knows
uncle tom wrote:As far as I can make out, the Syms blend a respectable wine for QH labelled product, using the stocks available to them at the time - but do not saddle themselves with a house style for the brand.
- Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
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I don't have my books with me, but I don't recall ever reading about a Quinta being associated with the QH label. From this, I would presume that it is a label that relies on grapes sourced from external vineyards. However, my understanding is that such arrangements are usually built around long term relationships and so a house style tends to develop by default, if not intent.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
- RonnieRoots
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- Alex Bridgeman
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QH vintage ports shouldn't be too lightly dismissed. Although they are not top tier, they are generally good value for money.
When I was living in Belgium in the mid-nineties my nearest supermarket used to stock a very good range of wines (first growth claret down) and ports (VP and down). Often the remnants from large stock lines were dumped into clearance bins and I still clearly remember the day I found a bottle of Latour 1980, 2 bottles of 1989 Yquem and 6 bottles of QH 1977 - all for £10 a bottle!
I drank quite a lot of QH port while I was in Belgium and grew quite attached to it. I still enjoy QH on the odd occasion that I drink one and I would recommend that they should not be overlooked or dismissed without tasting.
Or, just pass them on to me!
Alex
When I was living in Belgium in the mid-nineties my nearest supermarket used to stock a very good range of wines (first growth claret down) and ports (VP and down). Often the remnants from large stock lines were dumped into clearance bins and I still clearly remember the day I found a bottle of Latour 1980, 2 bottles of 1989 Yquem and 6 bottles of QH 1977 - all for £10 a bottle!
I drank quite a lot of QH port while I was in Belgium and grew quite attached to it. I still enjoy QH on the odd occasion that I drink one and I would recommend that they should not be overlooked or dismissed without tasting.
Or, just pass them on to me!
Alex
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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- Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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Locally in Trader Joe's are several Quarles Harris ports. Earlier posts mentioned Quarles Harris as a supermarket brand and it seems that the Symington's are positioning the brand that way. It is their low end.
I doubt we will ever see a high quality port like the 1977 Quarles Harris again. Quality port will go into another Syminton brand.
But the Symington's should have a web site for the brand. Even if it is low end, it may be an introductory port for many people because of the price. The port trade always needs to educate its consumers.
I doubt we will ever see a high quality port like the 1977 Quarles Harris again. Quality port will go into another Syminton brand.
But the Symington's should have a web site for the brand. Even if it is low end, it may be an introductory port for many people because of the price. The port trade always needs to educate its consumers.
- RonnieRoots
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Although you may find it in supermarkets, I don't think it is principally a low end brand. Warre's is in supermarkets as well. No one would call that low end...
Newer vintages of Quarles Harris are still good and perfect value for money. See my TN of the 2000 here.
Newer vintages of Quarles Harris are still good and perfect value for money. See my TN of the 2000 here.
I thought the original intention of warres was to be the "poor man's" port?RonnieRoots wrote:Although you may find it in supermarkets, I don't think it is principally a low end brand. Warre's is in supermarkets as well. No one would call that low end...
Newer vintages of Quarles Harris are still good and perfect value for money. See my TN of the 2000 here.
The more common meaning of the term Poor Man's Vintage Port applies to the Crusted Port style.
I have never heard of this term being applied to Warre's and would suggest that either the person who said it in the pub didn't know anything about port or, as may be more likely, g-man was slightly overtired and emotional at the time and has turned more than one story into a well known legend
Derek
I have never heard of this term being applied to Warre's and would suggest that either the person who said it in the pub didn't know anything about port or, as may be more likely, g-man was slightly overtired and emotional at the time and has turned more than one story into a well known legend
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
a few pints + a pitcher of red bull vodka always leads to a few legendary storiesDerek T. wrote:The more common meaning of the term Poor Man's Vintage Port applies to the Crusted Port style.
I have never heard of this term being applied to Warre's and would suggest that either the person who said it in the pub didn't know anything about port or, as may be more likely, g-man was slightly overtired and emotional at the time and has turned more than one story into a well known legend
Derek