Vintage Character Port

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Alex Bridgeman
Graham’s 1948
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Vintage Character Port

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Does anyone know when the regulations changed to ban ruby reserve Port from being called Vintage Character? I have a bottle I'm trying to (roughly) date.

Thanks.
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Doggett
Morgan 1991
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by Doggett »

I have a bottle of Vintage Character from 1977.
I can also find images of Churchill’s Vintage Character port, which suggests the rule change was after 1982. When I get a chance I will look through some books later to see if I can find the date.
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DRT
Fonseca 1966
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by DRT »

From the archive of www.infoportwine.com

"With Portaria no. 1484/2002 of November 22nd , 2002 a step was taken in the regulation of types and indications. The most important changes in this law were the replacement of the Vintage Character by the Reserva/Reserve (Ruby), the introduction of the Reserva Tawny/Tawny Reserve and the Reserva Branco/White Reserve and the demands for the Garrafeira."
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by JacobH »

Thanks, DRT!

I’m often surprised at how recent this change was, although I’m pretty sure I’ve seen El Vino’s “Vintage Character” for sale much more recently and I doubt that was reserve stocks (perhaps they were labeling it in the UK?).
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uncle tom
Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by uncle tom »

I don't dispute DRT's post.

I am preserving, for posterity, a couple of good examples of VC.

The lesser styles of port do not survive the test of time. I have a half (and sadly empty) bottle of 'Invalid Port', but despite sales running into many millions, and from more than one producer, I have never been able to secure a full bottle in good order.

If anyone spots one, a safe home awaits!
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by JacobH »

uncle tom wrote: 22:15 Sun 27 Dec 2020The lesser styles of port do not survive the test of time. I have a half (and sadly empty) bottle of 'Invalid Port', but despite sales running into many millions, and from more than one producer, I have never been able to secure a full bottle in good order.
It’s interesting that there is little of this when there is a healthy secondary market for antique bottles of quite normal spirits (and many posh cocktail bars in London will happily sell you a £100 negroni containing 50-year-old gin, vermouth and campari). I suppose people were more likely to open the cheaper bottles of Port, only preserving the Vintage Ports (and sometimes the LBVs) for special occasions which might never come.
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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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Re: Vintage Character Port

Post by JacobH »

There’s a nice short article on Port to Port Wine about Vintage Character Port which includes a few photographs of old labels. I’d not come across one of the shippers: Hunt, Roope & Co. before. I am also interested that the Quinta do Infantado is described as “meio-seco”: “medium dry”. I wonder what that was like?
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