Favorite low to mid-priced vintage - what's yours?

[Mark D]

Those vintage ports you can get for less than $60 on 750mls...

Mine are (to name a few):

Smith Woodhouse Madelena 1995. Beautiful port all around.
Quinta de Roriz 1999 - we can't get this anymore. Sob.
Fonseca de Panascal 2001 - fruity and very sweet

Anyone have others?

[Glenn E.]

1985 Smith Woodhouse is often available in the US for $60 and it is superb.

There are numerous vintages of Vesuvio available for right around or just under $60, too. I recently saw the 2000 vintage for $58... and if I'd had room, I would have picked up a 6-pack.

[RonnieRoots]

Great topic.

Warre Cavadinha 1995 @ 25 EUR
Fonseca Guimaraens 2001 @ 37,50 EUR
Dow's Bomfim 1995 / 1996 / 1998 @ 25 EUR
Pocas 2000 @ 20 EUR

And there are many others of course. I'll post more when I think of them.

[g-man]

the dow 91 can be found here and there for 40$ when it shows up
croft 00 for 25$
some of the 95's and 05's are stellar bargains

[KillerB]

Ah now, yes. Does this include the loony bargains that we sometimes get in the UK, or worse, what Tom picks up at auctions?

[marc j.]

Some of my favorites are 1995 Taylor Vargellas $45.00, 1990 Vesuvio $30.00, 1998 Quinta do Passadouro $25.00 and 1994 Cockburn $59.00. Each of these wines are VERY enjoyable right about now (although the Taylor could use a little more bottle age) and very reasonably priced.

Marc

[Portman]

You guys have hit most of my favorite low priced vintage ports, particularly the 1995 Smith Woodhouse and 1995 Taylor's. I guess I would add the 1995 Fonseca Guimaraens as well, which I have always found to be inexpensive and solid. With a bit of luck you can sometimes find 1991 Taylor's cheap, and that is a smashing good port.

[Zelandakh]

I've been saving my Smith Woodhouse and have yet to crack the box open to even check it isn't a case of bricks

Must venture in there if it is good.

The Sainsburys £10 offer that gets posted in here regularly is good the next day (awful on first opening) and I was enjoying Rabello Volente 83 until I enjoyed the last one

[mosesbotbol]

1985 Ramos
19XX Ferreira
1970 Royal Oporto
1991 Croft
1995 Dow

[smisse]

I've been saving my Smith Woodhouse and have yet to crack the box open to even check it isn't a case of bricks

Must venture in there if it is good.

The Sainsburys £10 offer that gets posted in here regularly is good the next day (awful on first opening) and I was enjoying Rabello Volente 83 until I enjoyed the last one

So do I enjoy my Rebello Valente '83. Yet I thought I was the only one Unfortunately only 1 left...

[urotsukidoji]

I must say it is painful seeing what is available to you all out there in less regulated places, and at such prices.....

oh well, I can always go to the LCBO for a cheap bottle of Taylor's...

63 VINTAGE PORT (TAYLOR FLADGATE)
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 985317 | 750 mL | $ 836.85

94 VINTAGE PORT (TAYLOR FLADGATE)
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 441196 | 750 mL | $ 490.85

97 VINTAGE PORT (TAYLOR FLADGATE)
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 702357 | 750 mL | $ 327.20

TAYLOR FLADGATE VINTAGE PORT 2000
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 123661 | 750 mL | $ 319.00

TAYLOR FLADGATE VINTAGE PORT 2007
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 139725 | 1500 mL | $ 249.00

TAYLOR FLADGATE VARGELLAS VINHA VELHA VINTAGE PORT 2007
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 139733 | 750 mL | $ 249.00

TAYLOR FLADGATE VARGELLAS VINHA VELHA VINTAGE PORT 2000
Portugal | Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman
VINTAGES 73635 | 750 mL | $ 245.00


grumble, grumble......

[Alex Bridgeman]

Pity we can't talk about LBV as well as vintage - Croft 2004 Unfiltered for £12 a bottle today and £3 per half bottle at Christmas.

Eira Velha 2000 for $15 (but needs another 15 years) and 1997 $40
Fonseca Guimaraens 1988 for $30 and 1996 for $35
Most recent Crasto vintages
Most recent Smith Woodhouse or Gould Campbell vintages
Malvedos 1996 $40
Cavadinha 1987 $40
Warre 1997 $40
Martinez 1997 and 1994 if bought carefully around $30

[DRT]

Smith Woodhouse Madalena 1988 - excellent juice and not expensive. I and a few others here got some at £16 per bottle retail two or three years ago. Drinking well now but will benefit from another 5-10 years.

[mosesbotbol]

Martinez 1997 and 1994 if bought carefully around $30

Those are some good deals. Been wanting the '94, but it always is up there on price, even at auction for some reason.

[Chris Doty]

I think a lot of AHB's suggestions are spot on. I think there are also several from 1983 worthy of note (Dow and Fonseca come to mind), 1986s (to the extent you can find any) have proven themselves to be a very strong lot and I think that the 1994 and 2000 Vesuvios are also excellent values (though perhaps the '94 isn't 'mid' priced).

[jdaw1]

1985 Ramos

When Vickers’ Liquors had ’85 Ramos-Pinto and dollars twenty-not-much (precise price forgotten), it was a splendid bargain.

[Chris Doty]

It was $28 as I recall. They also had some '80 Ferreira at a similar price. I am quite sure I cleaned them out of both.