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It’s normal, They’re all filled like that. Even the 20 yr Graham’s Jeroboams are filled the same.

Worth a grumble though - it doesn't look very good..

uncle tom wrote: ↑17:42 Wed 07 Oct 2020

It’s normal, They’re all filled like that. Even the 20 yr Graham’s Jeroboams are filled the same.

Worth a grumble though - it doesn't look very good..

I have grumbled to C&B and they've gone away to speak to Symingtons.
I agree - does look a bit rubbish.

You've got to leave enough space for the air to compress adequately without when the cork goes in, but not leave too little space so as to over-compress the air gap and have the cork pop out. Having a leaking jeroboam would look even more rubbish.

If there are 4.5 litres in the bottle, I'd be happy enough.

The Graham 1990 is absolutely superb, I have had a couple of bottles. Lucky you to get a large format bottle!
Congratulations!
I myself have just acquired as a latest buy a Warre 1920

I think AHB Is right. We just aren’t used to seeing the big gap because most large format wines have opaque bottles. All the photos of the 4.5l Graham 10YO tawny look the same or worse. I agree it’s not the best look, though: a needle through the cork to allow a higher fill level without over-pressurising the bottle would be a much better idea, I think.

Look at this selection of Provence rosé for another example. The Methuselah looks rubbish!

AHB wrote: ↑20:02 Wed 07 Oct 2020 You've got to leave enough space for the air to compress adequately without when the cork goes in, but not leave too little space so as to over-compress the air gap and have the cork pop out. Having a leaking jeroboam would look even more rubbish.

If there are 4.5 litres in the bottle, I'd be happy enough.

Good point, and as my 450cl of the 10yo is the same I suspect you’re right.
Jacob makes an equally good point about large bottles generally being opaque.
Will be interesting to see what response I get back via C&B.

Sandeman 1927 at auction.

12 x Churchill 2005 unfiltered LBV

Ex. lodge, they threw in delivery to the UK and a rather tasteful corkscrew FOC

Their online ordering platform failed, but when I emailed to point this out, they replied promptly - and on a Sunday!

uncle tom wrote: ↑16:49 Sat 10 Oct 2020 12 x Churchill 2005 unfiltered LBV

Ex. lodge, they threw in delivery to the UK and a rather tasteful corkscrew FOC

Their online ordering platform failed, but when I emailed to point this out, they replied promptly - and on a Sunday!

Very interesting. I've just bought a bottle of the 2005 VP to open for the 67 Pall Mall Tasting. I should have thought to buy a bottle of the 2005 LBV to taste alongside it. When I compared the Quevedo 2005 VP and LBVs as part of the Quevedo tasting, I was very interested in the differences I found.

nac wrote: ↑21:50 Wed 07 Oct 2020

AHB wrote: ↑20:02 Wed 07 Oct 2020 You've got to leave enough space for the air to compress adequately without when the cork goes in, but not leave too little space so as to over-compress the air gap and have the cork pop out. Having a leaking jeroboam would look even more rubbish.

If there are 4.5 litres in the bottle, I'd be happy enough.

Good point, and as my 450cl of the 10yo is the same I suspect you’re right.
Jacob makes an equally good point about large bottles generally being opaque.
Will be interesting to see what response I get back via C&B.

Got a response back via C&B (see below). Last statement is slightly wrong - C&B had three of these that went to private customers...

nac wrote: ↑13:11 Fri 16 Oct 2020 Got a response back via C&B (see below). Last statement is slightly wrong - C&B had three of these that went to private customers...

I recently went to a restaurant in the West End that had a drinks trolley that was topped by a decanting cradle containing a 4.5l bottle of one of the tawnies. I know that decanting cradles are not looked on favourable by most serious wine drinkers but I thought it was quite a fun thing for one of these giant bottles and would also (since the bottle was at an angle) avoid the low-fill-level issue, even when full...

There are 3 currently available online via wine-searcher, so "exclusive to the on trade" must not mean what they think it means.

If they weren't $800 - $1000 and would then require shipping to the US, I'd get one. But that's too steep for me for a 30-year old tawny.

I was gonna buy one of those 4.5l of their 20 yr tawny for our new house warming party. Figured it would be super cool to pour for guests. Then the Covid drama hit 2-days after we moved in. No party, no bottle, no fun

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑23:21 Fri 16 Oct 2020 I was gonna buy one of those 4.5l of their 20 yr tawny for our new house warming party. Figured it would be super cool to pour for guests. Then the Covid drama hit 2-days after we moved in. No party, no bottle, no fun

I'd have been there for that!

3 x Vesuvio 1992
3 x Niepoort 1983
3 x Smith Woodhouse 1980

These are three of my 'been hanging on to see if I could pick them up at auction' ports but I had a good result on something work-related so bought some port at retail to celebrate.

arrived a couple of days ago from Aldi, with a few LBV's

hadge wrote: ↑23:28 Wed 18 Nov 2020 arrived a couple of days ago from Aldi, with a few LBV's

Fletchers 10 year old 4.5l bottle.jpg

I'm very disappointed you didn't buy a six-pack of the 4.5litre bottles Harry!

Nice looking bottle and a box which my wife would be trying to convert into some sort of bee home before I'd managed to get the bottle out.

I’m interested in the history of these tawnies. As discussed above, they are made by Barão de Vilar which was the company set up by the van Zeller family in the mid-to-late 1990s after they sold Quinta do Noval to AXA. I wonder if it is their standard blend since the oddly-shaped decanters are also available under the BdV name and, also, as “Maynard’s Port”, too.

(Incidentally, whilst “Maynard’s” seems to be an alternative name from BdV, named after a family member, and is apparently also used for both VP and organic VP, I wonder if “Fletcher’s” is owned by Aldi since, back in 2002 it was made by Feist (RIP)?)

All of this seems a bit modern for them to be churning out really cheap 40-year-old tawnies.

As far as I can tell, there are two other Barão de Vilar brands: Palmer and Feuerheed. Palmer seems really new and although they have produced some Vintage Port its main offerings are a whole stack of colheitas, including some ancient ones, all of which seem quite competitively priced. Feuerheed is, of course, long established but there is very little information about whether it is more than a brand name online.

I suppose they may be buying the odd pipe here and there, but I would have thought that would not be consummate with having stocks to allow them to sell them so cheaply. Were they therefore bought wholesale from another shipper? Or could they be ex Quinta do Noval and stayed with the van Zeller family after the sale of the vineyard (perhaps as a family reserve rather than a company stock)?

I guess only the van Zellers might have the answer, but that never stopped speculation in the past...

Feist is also either owned or was owned by BdV as far as I am aware.

Doggett wrote: ↑13:59 Sun 22 Nov 2020 Feist is also either owned or was owned by BdV as far as I am aware.

Is that a recent development? VintagePort.se says it was owned by Barros since the 1950s and then became part of Sogevinus in 2006 (presumably when they also bought Barros).

JacobH wrote:

Doggett wrote: ↑13:59 Sun 22 Nov 2020 Feist is also either owned or was owned by BdV as far as I am aware.

Is that a recent development? VintagePort.se says it was owned by Barros since the 1950s and then became part of Sogevinus in 2006 (presumably when they also bought Barros).

Feist is imported and distributed by Sogevinus’ import arm here in the states. Would lead me to believe it’s owned by Sogevinus.

It must be historical then, as the reason I mention it is that I was told by a Van Zeller that Feist was one of the brands they owned. I had mistakenly presumed currently, but historically would make more sense within the context of the conversation IIRC

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑15:49 Sun 22 Nov 2020

JacobH wrote:

Doggett wrote: ↑13:59 Sun 22 Nov 2020 Feist is also either owned or was owned by BdV as far as I am aware.

Is that a recent development? VintagePort.se says it was owned by Barros since the 1950s and then became part of Sogevinus in 2006 (presumably when they also bought Barros).

Feist is imported and distributed by Sogevinus’ import arm here in the states. Would lead me to believe it’s owned by Sogevinus.

I didn’t realise that any of it was still produced. It’s not listed on the Sogevinus website. Perhaps it’s only sold in the states?

We visited BdV on both the 2018 and 2019 Port Harvest Tours, the former in VNdG and the latter in the Douro Superior. Much of this was explained to us on those visits, but unfortunately I didn't take notes on the history (only the wines) so only have memories.

Aside from BdV itself, Maynard's and Palmer are their 2 main brands now, as I recall. IIRC Palmer is intended to be somewhat more prestigious while Maynard's is intended to be their mainstream brand. But looking through my notes and scores I do not detect any particular differences in either product produced or quality of same.

The one interesting note is that Alvaro let us taste something he called a VVVV which he said (at that time) was going to be released mostly unchanged as a Palmer 40 Year Old. It isn't a BdV wine - it's something they purchased. It is much older that 40 years old, but its profile will fit the category nicely.

Since I'm here, I just managed to pick up (from auction):

12 x 1985 Smith Woodhouse ($52.50 ea)
2 x 1987 Taylor Vargellas ($93.50 ea)
1 x 1966 Graham ($210)

All good prices for the US (buyer's premium is included above), but probably nothing to brag about in the UK. I've been trying to find TV87 for 10 years since that's our anniversary year, and this is the first time I've been able to actually win.