Port To Keep...

Anything to do with Port.
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Gavin Harrison
Cruz Ruby
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Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Hi,

Beyond having enjoyed port throughout my life, I'm a complete beginner when it comes to actually selecting a port beyond what you might consider the 'usual suspects'. I've been asked to be a guardian to my closest friends child and as such my first thought was to give a gift of a bottle of port to be opened several years down the line. The child in question was born in 2015, however I've been told not to buy anything so whilst I still will, ideally I need to keep to just one bottle (though I may buy one for myself too...), around a budget of £50. I'm happy to go a little over this but that's roughly the price I'm aiming at. So my questions are:

1) Is it even possible / worth picking up a bottle at that price to be drunk 18-21 years later?
2) Was 2015 a good vintage year? I'm open to a bottle from a different year if 2015 bottles are not good.
3) What would people recommend and where would be the best place to buy it from? Ideally to be delivered asap as I've left this a bit late!

Thanks in advance and apologies for being such a novice in this area!
Gavin.
PhilW
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by PhilW »

Hi Gavin and welcome to :tpf:
Gavin Harrison wrote: 09:59 Wed 21 Jun 2017 a budget of £50. I'm happy to go a little over this but that's roughly the price I'm aiming at. So my questions are:

1) Is it even possible / worth picking up a bottle at that price to be drunk 18-21 years later?
Most definitely possible to obtain bottles at around that price BUT currently only en-primeur; having just declared 2015, most producers will ship bottles in the autumn, so they will only be physically available towards the end of the year. Note also that buying en-primeur would normally only be in multiples of 6, for standard bottles.

Whether worthwhile to buy would depend on many factors including value judgements, but in particular whether the recipient (or recipient's family) can store the bottle well for that time to ensure the quality when opened (vs if you were to purchase a pack of 6 bottles en-primeur, these could be delivered to and held in-bond in professional storage, guaranteeing provenance and maximising quality when withdrawn for drinking or sale many years later).
Gavin Harrison wrote: 09:59 Wed 21 Jun 20172) Was 2015 a good vintage year? I'm open to a bottle from a different year if 2015 bottles are not good.
2015 has not been widely declared, however based on opinions of those who have tasted it that I trust, I would expect some of the primary vendors to be sufficiently good that I would stay with 2015 for the "correct" year for your purposes.
Gavin Harrison wrote: 09:59 Wed 21 Jun 20173) What would people recommend and where would be the best place to buy it from? Ideally to be delivered asap as I've left this a bit late!
Per my above, the bottles will likely not be available until the end of the year, which it sounds like might be a problem for you.
Gavin Harrison
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Many thanks for the reply...Ideally I'd be looking to get one bottle, I've been instructed to not buy anything at all but obviously I can't abide by that!

If I were to wait until the end of the year, is there anyway now of buying, or indeed anywhere I can look? Also any bottles etc that would be recommended?
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Old Bridge
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Old Bridge »

Hello and welcome Gavin.
These are some Ports that have scored high in tastings so far. Unfortunately not available until autumn as said before. Any one of these will surely be much appreciated 20+ years down the line.
Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2015
Cockburn's Vintage Port 2015
Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port 2015
Niepoort Vintage Port 2015
Graham's The Stone Terraces Vintage Port 2015
Gavin Harrison
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Thanks for that, I think buying in autumn will be fine, I'd rather wait for the right thing then rush to have something on the day.

So my next stupid question is, where is the best place to buy from?
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Old Bridge
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Old Bridge »

"where is the best place to buy from?"

You can start with checking out Wine Searcher on the internet. There you get ratings and shops for each wine.
Gavin Harrison
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Old Bridge wrote: 16:12 Wed 21 Jun 2017 Hello and welcome Gavin.
These are some Ports that have scored high in tastings so far. Unfortunately not available until autumn as said before. Any one of these will surely be much appreciated 20+ years down the line.
Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2015
Cockburn's Vintage Port 2015
Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port 2015
Niepoort Vintage Port 2015
Graham's The Stone Terraces Vintage Port 2015
Am I correct in thinking then that the above mentioned bottles can be bought now? I've done a search and found them for sale.

If this is the case, what would be the bottles to look out for being released this autumn?
Glenn E.
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Glenn E. »

Finding them "for sale" and actually being able to acquire them at this time are two very different things. Many retailers list and sell bottles that they do not yet have in stock. I recently purchased 6 bottles online and, after purchase, found out that they won't be arriving until fall. Which wasn't a problem in my case, but it could come as a surprise to someone else trying to buy.
Glenn Elliott
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

A good place to buy them depends on where you are. Let us know your rough location and we'll point you towards a (reasonably) convenient wine merchant where you can buy a bottle or two of 2015 vintage port in the late autumn or early winter.

Don't fret too much about storage. They key issue is to lay the bottles down where they will be in the dark and free from vibration. They also need to be kept at a stable temperature as much as possible - ideally in a cool damp cellar but the bottom of a wardrobe in a north facing bedroom or under the stairs would be perfectly adequate. Please don't store them in the loft, the garage, the kitchen or a garden shed as the large daily fluctations in temperature in those sorts of environments would be likely to kill the wine after a few years.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Gavin Harrison
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Thanks for the reply, I am based in Suffolk around either Clare or Bury St Edmunds.
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Old Bridge
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Old Bridge »

Hi Gavin.
In Bury St Edmunds these wine shops have a fair selection of Port:
Thos Peatling Fine Wines
Majestic Wine
Adnams Bury St Edmunds
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Old Bridge wrote: 13:10 Tue 27 Jun 2017 Hi Gavin.
In Bury St Edmunds these wine shops have a fair selection of Port:
Thos Peatling Fine Wines
Majestic Wine
Adnams Bury St Edmunds
I entirely agree! I think there's also a branch of Adnams in Woodbridge. Cambridge Wines (who have a branch in Cambridge, amongst other places) also carry a very good selection of port.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Gavin Harrison
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Gavin Harrison »

Great thanks...Now just to sort out what 2015 to buy...
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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
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Re: Port To Keep...

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Don't be afraid to be cheeky and reach out to your nearest wine merchant and ask whether there is an opportunity for you to try the 2015 ports before you decide which to buy. You never know, you could be lucky.
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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