ThePortForum.com

TPF's tasting notes list is a remarkable and comprehensive document. I have found it of inestimable value, in particular in deciding whether or not to take a punt on a mixed lot at auction, but it is also useful as a tool of wider analysis simply because of its sheer size.

Even so I have accumulated a number of bottles of port for which there is no tasting note on the tasting notes index as at 1 February 2020 (I have a snapshot of the index as at that date, so if you ask me I can confirm whether or not a tasting note for a wine had been filed (and indexed to) as at that date). At the last count, 9, encompassing all styles of port. Talking to others at a couple of recent tastings (i) it is clear that others have also accumulated odd bottles of such wines; (ii) there was some enthusiasm for sharing such wines with others on this forum.

I should emphasise that this is an unserious tasting. There is a significant possibility that quite a lot of the wines will not be very good- that there's sometimes a reason why we haven't seen notes on them - I am sure that is the case with at least some of those I have. But, we might discover some gems, or at least some tolerable minor wines.

Choosing to attend, I propose, includes undertaking to post a tasting note, on at least 7 of the ports tasted, within 14 days of the tasting (otherwise those not attending don't get to benefit from our innocent fun).

I propose we do this sighted but, to maintain the surprise factor until the day, without advance warning to the group of specifically what is being brought. To make that workable please PM me details of what you plan to bring so I can de-dupe if need be. I will print placemats etc., with the expert assistance of jdaw1 in their preparation.

I plan to bring a 1989. My guests will bring a 1983 and a 1985. For those attendees who have not already told me what they plan to bring, and on review find they do not have one to hand, I have up to 6 other wines available with sufficient notice (21 days) to go to collect them from my country cellar

Red Room at the Boot and Flogger, 1800 for 1830, on a date to be decided.

1. GEAG
2. HTWH
3. flash_uk
4. CPR1
5. forest26
6. idj123
7. jdaw1
8. nac
9. AHB
10. ACMS (AHB guest)
11. uncle tom
12. akzy
13. OJW (GEAG guest)
14. AWCC (GEAG guest)

yes please sounds fun

Sounds good. Count me in!

Yes please

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yes please - need to be quick these days

Yes please for this as well!

Yes please, though I am going to struggle.

Might it be fairer to make the theme “Bring a Port for which there isn’t, as of 01 Sept 2020, a tasting note on the tasting notes list”?

Yes please.

@ jdaw1- yes, absolutely, your suggestion for theme-finessing by reference to a date is an admirable one. It might even be better if we set it to '1 Feb 2020' in case AHB catches up on his back-log in the interim. I will implement the change once I get to a keyboard.

Was going to bring Hooper's 85 - about which was incorrectly sure there wouldn't be a note...

nac wrote: ↑20:50 Tue 04 Feb 2020 Was going to bring Hooper's 85 - about which was incorrectly sure there wouldn't be a note...

Funny I was thinking exactly the same.

Thus now on plan B. Good fun trying to work out which bottles qualify for this tasting, at least the fixed starting points makes this possible.

I do hope somebody brings a Dow 1878.

Alas my stocks have run dry — at least in 1⅓-pint format.

I deleted a line from the draft of the first post about encouraging people to leave the Dow 1878 at home on this occasion...

Seriously though, I was not intending this as a time for 'bucket list' ports. This is for the 'I'm slightly surprised that there's been no note on...' or 'I think this might be a duffer but...'

jdaw1 wrote: ↑20:56 Mon 03 Feb 2020though I am going to struggle.

Actually, I have one. Hurray! Though there is a risk that it will appear before November.

Yes please. I’d like to be there provided I can find something suitable.

Forgot to say: great theme. I thoroughly approve.

Over multiple repeats, however, this theme will become more difficult.

If, after multiple repeats, this becomes more difficult, then we can move on to alternative but related themes such as 'ports for which there is a unicorn note' or possibly 'ports where the last note is five years old or more'...

winesecretary wrote: ↑17:19 Mon 10 Feb 2020If, after multiple repeats, this becomes more difficult, then we can move on to alternative but related themes such as 'ports for which there is a unicorn note' or possibly 'ports where the last note is five years old or more'...

Genius.

There is a slight flaw in the theme. Unless someone downloads a complete list of all the tasting notes that were on TPF on 1 Feb 2020, we won't know what was there (admitedly we will if we undertake a great deal of painstakingly detailed research, which most won't do). How about a slight variation of "...not on the Tasting Note Index once Derek does the recently requested update..."?

AHB wrote: ↑17:58 Tue 11 Feb 2020 There is a slight flaw in the theme. Unless someone downloads a complete list of all the tasting notes that were on TPF on 1 Feb 2020, we won't know what was there (admitedly we will if we undertake a great deal of painstakingly detailed research, which most won't do). How about a slight variation of "...not on the Tasting Note Index once Derek does the recently requested update..."?

A possible, simple, solution? Attendees let George know (via PM) the wine they intend to bring. He then checks against the database at that moment. If the wine isn't in the database at that moment he accepts it as being within scope.

To confirm- for the purposes of planning this tasting I have taken a snapshot of the tasting notes index (but not the tasting notes) as at 01/02/20. I have updated the initial post to make that clear.

winesecretary wrote: ↑13:41 Wed 12 Feb 2020 To confirm- for the purposes of planning this tasting I have taken a snapshot of the tasting notes index (but not the tasting notes) as at 01/02/20. I have updated the initial post to make that clear.

Perfect, with plenty of clarity.

A question for the organiser: would a Crusted Port bottled in a year for which there is no tasting note qualify?

@ AHB - yes, absolutely, since it would deserve its own note on the tasting notes list. Crusted ports can be jolly fun; I have fond memories of a Taylor's Crusted Bottled 1973 (drunk the best part of a decade ago) with a lovely figgy palate. I am pleased to see the re-emergence of the genre since the millennium, because in the 80s and 90s it was really only Graham who stuck with it.

Excellent; thank you. I am working through my options at the moment and having a lot of fun doing so.