Warre's & Delaforce Vintage ports

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davs22
Cruz Ruby
Posts: 1
Joined: 16:40 Sat 20 Jan 2018

Warre's & Delaforce Vintage ports

Post by davs22 »

Hi - I have a bottle of 1979 Warre's Warrior Special Reserve & a Delaforce 1988 late bottled vintage port[/color].
Both have been kept in an attached garage since the mid 90's, lay flat, and now in my cellar.
Both are in their original boxes. - I couldn't attached pics, as the files are too big, even compressed.
However, the bottles are in A1 condition.
I was wondering about their value & whether they are worth selling, keeping or drinking?

This is my first post, I would welcome your advice/offers.
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
Posts: 14868
Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK

Re: Warre's & Delaforce Vintage ports

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

The Delaforce 1988 LBV is probably not worth anything, but would probably drink reasonably well. If you know anyone who is 30 this year, it might be fun to share the bottle with them on their birthday. But check the colour of the contents of the bottle before you drink it. If the contents look a pale orange colour, you are likely to drink something that will taste light, sugar and with a bit of red apple acidity. If it's a deeper red then there will be some bramble or raspberry fruit in the flavour. But generally Delaforce LBVs were not made to be aged in the bottle so you will be drinking a wine past its best, but it will still be drinkable.

Warre's Warrior Special Reserve is a ruby port, and you've identified that yours was bottled in 1979. How did you manage to identify that it was bottled in 1979? Warre's Warrior Special Reserve does not normally have a bottling date on it. Are you sure that it is Warre's Warrior Special Reserve? This is where a picture would be very helpful. If you have bottle of Warre's Warrior Special Reserve bottled in 1979 it will be more sugar and syrup in flavour than the Delaforce, again still drinkable but again well past its best. If you have a bottle of Warre Bottled Matured LBV port from 1979 bottled in 1983 or 1984 it will be a step up in quality from the Delaforce and if a dark red when you look at the colour, could give you a decent idea of what a good quality port tastes like when mature.

In either case the bottles are worth a little more than nothing. Certainly not worth keeping further, probably not worth selling. Probably bottles to drink for a little bit of fun or to give to someone who likes port and is willing to try something unusual.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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