Port 'experts'.

Anything to do with Port.
Post Reply
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Port 'experts'.

Post by Sideways »

Who are the recognised authoritarians on port? (or authorities).

The wine world has Jancis, Parker, Johnson, Spurrier etc., their knowledge is wide and varied but are there any writers / commentators out there who specialise on port?

Links to their websites (if allowed) would be appreciated.
Last edited by Sideways on 15:26 Thu 30 Aug 2007, edited 1 time in total.
Vintage Shmintage.
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Post by DRT »

Graham,

The port world has very few experts who are willing to share their thoughts on the web. The link below will take you to a place where you can find a few of them...

Click Here

Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
uncle tom
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
Posts: 3519
Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Near Saffron Walden, England

Post by uncle tom »

You tease Derek!

There are a few respected individuals:

For depth of personal experience (and tasting notes that broadly concur with my own) - Michael Broadbent

For all-round knowledge, and a scholarly attention to accuracy in his written work - Richard Mayson

Others might mention James Suckling, but his book is now out of date, and I find it easy to disagree with his pronouncements...

There are several other authors who have written good works.

Of the on-line community, there is only one person who openly presents himself as an expert.

His knowledge, while extensive in certain areas, is notably lacking in others - we don't often mention him here.. :wink:

Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Post by Sideways »

uncle tom wrote:
Of the on-line community, there is only one person who openly presents himself as an expert.

His knowledge, while extensive in certain areas, is notably lacking in others - we don't often mention him here.. :wink:

Tom
A troll through previous posts unearthed a review for this site on infoportwine.com, this also mentioned RH, I guess this is who you are referring too. Say no more.
Vintage Shmintage.
User avatar
jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
Posts: 23628
Joined: 15:03 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: London
Contact:

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

Post by jdaw1 »

That reminds me: I needed to write to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Conky
Fonseca 1980
Posts: 1770
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007

Post by Conky »

Roy,

If you do read this, I'm sure you know its only gentle mocking. Now why dont you sign up, and we can all cross swords in the humour department and learn a bit in the Port Department! :D :wink: :D

Alan
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Post by Sideways »

Conky wrote:Roy,

If you do read this, I'm sure you know its only gentle mocking. Now why dont you sign up, and we can all cross swords in the humour department and learn a bit in the Port Department! :D :wink: :D

Alan
That's a lot of departments, are you sure there are enough of us? :wink:
Vintage Shmintage.
Conky
Fonseca 1980
Posts: 1770
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007

Post by Conky »

Sideways

You should see the late night 'Tired & Emotional' Department, that hangs around the Meaningless Drivel Corridors... :D

Alan
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Post by Sideways »

Meaningless Drivel

A natural by-product of too much wine I fear.
Vintage Shmintage.
User avatar
jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
Posts: 23628
Joined: 15:03 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: London
Contact:

authoritarians

Post by jdaw1 »

Sideways wrote:Who are the recognised authoritarians on port?
Interesting choice of word.
Yahoo’s dictionary wrote: ADJECTIVE:
  1. Characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority, as against individual freedom: an authoritarian regime.
  2. Of, relating to, or expecting unquestioning obedience. See Synonyms at dictatorial.
Or did you mean “authorities†?
User avatar
uncle tom
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
Posts: 3519
Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Near Saffron Walden, England

Post by uncle tom »

Meaningless Drivel

A natural by-product of too much wine I fear.
You're thinking of meaningless dribble... :D

Tom
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Re: authoritarians

Post by Sideways »

jdaw1 wrote:
Or did you mean “authorities†?
Take your pick.
Vintage Shmintage.
User avatar
RonnieRoots
Fonseca 1980
Posts: 1981
Joined: 08:28 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: Middle Earth

Post by RonnieRoots »

To come back to the original topic, I would say that the tasting notes of Michael Broadbent are of great value. I usually agree with the scores of James Suckling, although these are fairly useless for older ports, since they mostly consist of one single tasting note from nearly 20 years ago.
User avatar
DRT
Fonseca 1966
Posts: 15779
Joined: 23:51 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Chesterfield, UK
Contact:

Re: authoritarians

Post by DRT »

Sideways wrote:
jdaw1 wrote:
Or did you mean “authorities†?
Take your pick.
Graham,

I think it is worth explaining that jdaws' primary function here it to edyoukate us; into using propper grammmer and punktuation. It is fort-unate that he also like's port and kan ---- therefore ... also engaje in port-related-topics-of-conversation :D

Dere-'k
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
User avatar
jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
Posts: 23628
Joined: 15:03 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: London
Contact:

Derek T. refers to the thread of apostrophe crimes

Post by jdaw1 »

Derek T. refers to this thread, incomplete in the sense that many crimes go unrecorded.
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Post by Sideways »

My use of the word authoritarian was intentional, Parker anyone?

More careful in future I will be. :wink:
Vintage Shmintage.
Andy Velebil
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
Posts: 3031
Joined: 22:16 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Los Angeles, Ca USA
Contact:

Post by Andy Velebil »

My edumication and grummer r note so gode ether :lol:

AS for Parker, I think he is the last person I look to when searching for wine reviews on Port. Others wines yes, but he is not good at Port. Although Mark Squires did a great job reviewing dry wines from Portugal in the last ediition of The Wine Advocate. I havn't seen him rate any Ports yet, so not sure there.
User avatar
Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14906
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Sideways wrote:[A troll through previous posts unearthed a review for this site on infoportwine.com, this also mentioned RH, I guess this is who you are referring too. Say no more.
If you are interested in learning about port, Roy Hersh's site is a definite place to visit. Roy has an extensive cellar and probably drinks more different ports than most (all?) of the rest of us so also has an extensive library of tasting notes. Several of the people who post here also post on Roy's forum, the two different forums having complimentary approaches to the topic of Port.

(Plus Roy lets me post my tasting notes of South African wines made with traditional portuguese port varieties and with the fermentation stopped early through the addition of neutral grape brandy in with all the other port tasting notes.)

Alex
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
User avatar
KillerB
Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
Posts: 2425
Joined: 22:09 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Sky Blue City, England

Post by KillerB »

You mean he lets you break one of the fundamental laws of the Universe?

!!!ARMAGEDDON!!!
Port is basically a red drink
User avatar
Luc
Graham’s The Tawny
Posts: 469
Joined: 13:39 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Post by Luc »

For pure info on the Port world , ya gotta visit RH's site .
User avatar
uncle tom
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
Posts: 3519
Joined: 23:43 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Near Saffron Walden, England

Post by uncle tom »

But for better info - stick right here!

Tom :D
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
User avatar
Luc
Graham’s The Tawny
Posts: 469
Joined: 13:39 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Post by Luc »

You guys crack me up . :lol: :lol:
User avatar
Sideways
Fonseca Bin 27
Posts: 68
Joined: 13:37 Mon 20 Aug 2007
Location: Staffs, UK.

Post by Sideways »

I'm a forum slut, I shall take what I want from both and leave without warning.

:wink:
Vintage Shmintage.
User avatar
Luc
Graham’s The Tawny
Posts: 469
Joined: 13:39 Thu 21 Jun 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Post by Luc »

Bring me your tired , your homeless , your weak , your port & peanut butter guys , your Portonians and your port forum sluts . :wink: :wink:
Post Reply