How to get a pricing on Port

[mlgardner]

Hi Guys,

First time post here so apologies if it is in the wrong space. I am looking to get a set of 12 bottles of Port valued and was wondering if anyone knew of a site/person/company who i could speak to? I have be looking around of the web but can find limited information on the bottles. Also if any of you guys have any understanding that would be helpful. They are Souza 1978 Vintage Port.

I am not necessarily looking to sell them at this time, i am simply looking to understand what I have in my possession as i received them as a gift many years ago.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[RAYC]

Interesting....not a port i've ever come across, and from the tasting notes on this site it looks as though only one person on these boards has ever had one!

Unfortunately i don't think this case will make you rich....neither the year (1978) nor the producer (Souza) are particularly well regarded for vintage port (though their Colheitas have a much better reputation). As to putting a value on it - a case of the 78 vintage port sold at Christies London in 2007 for £190 (link - price includes buyer's premium - someone else can do the maths as to how much of that the seller actually pocketed).

Prices for the best vintage port may have generally moved upwards since then, but personally i can't see anyone wanting to pay much more than that (though others may chime in and disagree...).

Who to speak to for more information (in terms of either getting quotes from merchants as to the price at which they would buy the case from you / auction houses as to the price they would recommend setting as the reserve) would depend on where in the world you are based.....

[mlgardner]

Thanks for the feedback, very interesting. Yeah i saw that link on Christies too, doesn't look to promising from that, although on my search i also found:

http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-12361 ... t-portugal (I know it isn't showing the 78 though, probably a sign that it isn't a great year as you said)
http://www.thewineblokes.com/uk-wine-co ... 1978-57242

Any idea if these are credible sources?

Also, i am bassed London if you know of any Merchants or Auction houses?

Thanks.

[mosesbotbol]

Most you'll get in USA assuming it's in great condition is around $300 for the case, most likely less. I would just drink it. Retail and 2nd market pricing are worlds apart.

[uncle tom]

I would just drink it

Good advice.

This port will be at the end of it's maturation journey now, and is not going to pay your pension; so why not decant a bottle and see if you like it?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Souza 1978 does not have a lot of value. There are plenty of 1978 bottles around for the birthday / anniversary market so it is unlikely that you would find a home for them this way. I can't think of many merchants in London who would be interested in buying these or offering a price as they would be very tough to sell. It might be worth you contacting Fine & Rare Wines to see if they would suggest a price at which they would broke these bottles (where you would be paid only when the bottles were sold to a third party).

If you auctioned them, I can't imagine that they would sell for a hammer price much more than £150, which would net you around £10 per bottle.

I think the advice to open one and try it is good advice. You never know, you might find that you have something you really enjoy drinking and which will bring you much more pleasure over the next 10 years than would £120.

[mlgardner]

Thanks Guys,

Very helpful and along the lines of an answer I was looking for, makes it an easy decision, i was dreading it being the scenario of having to sell it as a case of 12 or nothing and not getting to actually taste one, and being 25 i think i have a few years before i find that retirement plan.

On the topic though, is Port a good investment these days?

Again, thanks for all the help, much appreciated.

[DRT]

On the topic though, is Port a good investment these days?

That depends if you want to drink it or sell it. If you plan to spend your middle age and retirement drinking fine vintage port with known provenance then buying it now and letting it mature is a good investment. Buying it now to sell later is probably not such a good idea as private sale and/or auction prices tend to be very much less than retail prices so your growth potential is somewhat limited.