Everyday VP

[djewesbury]

There is no webshop. But you can buy ports while visiting the Graham's lodge. You get a 20 % discount there. Once you have placed the first order there in person, you can order ports and Douro wines from home (via e-mail and on an advance-payment basis). When I visited the Graham's Lodge in August, I just bought 6 bottles to be shipped home, just to have my foot in the door. I will place a bigger order in November, but have to ask some friends to join me.

This is excellent information - I wish I'd known while I was there last week. But I'll take note for the next time I'm there (hopefully before Xmas). Thanks!

[DRT]

I had this about six years ago and it was fabulous juice.

Other vintages are available, most of which are in more convenient sized bottles.

But the 10 available at £10 each are a tempting proposition.

[DRT]

For more than one reason this might be worth a try...

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[RAYC]

Both Churchill and Gould Campbell 85 have been very good for me and are reasonably affordable - within the last 24 months I have purchased 2-3 cases of each from bonded provenance for £25 per bottle all-in and an now more than half way through them... The Gould is very drinkable and reassuringly consistent, whereas the Churchill can be genuinely spectacular when on form ( though slight bottle varibility).

From Warre, Cavadinha 92 is my pick from the 90s for £20ish though will be better with more maturity. But I must say I prefer the Warre bottle matured LBVs.

A while ago you could get cases of 24 FG 91 halves for £200ish in bond - not sure if that's still available but was rather tempted by that and Griff reported they were drinking nicely. Wish I had bought a case or two of Roeda 87 when that was being sold off at under or around £20 in 2009/2010...

Pricing on Vesuvio 96 has also been very keen over the last couple of years. Cornet and Barrow sold off a load at £112 per 6-pack in bond last year. Having now had a couple, I wish I'd bought more than I did.

Derek - think you also had the Ni 96 LBV last year from a half bottle - presumably of the same ex-cellars stock you posted. I bought 6-8 a while ago and find them variable (from very good to suffering from the usual problems you associate with 90s Niepoort)

[djewesbury]

Excellent information from everyone. Wine-searcher gives me around £30 for the GC85 - might buy a few but not a bulk purchase (for these purposes) at that price. Definitely will be getting some of the Roeda87, keen prices around on that. Would be curious to try the Churchill having never had it and heard mixed reports re consistency. V96 is <£30 so an option.. but longer term perhaps.

[DRT]

Derek - think you also had the Ni 96 LBV last year from a half bottle - presumably of the same ex-cellars stock you posted. I bought 6-8 a while ago and find them variable (from very good to suffering from the usual problems you associate with 90s Niepoort)

Ah yes, I remember those now. The bottles I was referring to were 75cls that I bought years ago and were consistently good. Your experience would steer me away from the halves as they appear to be variable.

[JB vintage]

I come as a humble acolyte (albeit one whose ranking has passed into the minor vintages for the first time!) with this question.

You are buying a case or two, or three, of Port for General Use. Something with decent cellar age, ready to drink but also with some future ahead of it. Nothing too stellar. What would it be, and why?

Congratulations to your promotion to the rank of Vintage. Even if I do agree that some old (traditional) LBV's might be surprisingly good, I do think that it is a vintage you should go for to celebrate your promotion.

[griff]

91 Fonseca all gone from F&R but the 87 Roeda and 96 Vesuvio duty paid look reasonable.

[djewesbury]

91 Fonseca all gone from F&R but the 87 Roeda and 96 Vesuvio duty paid look reasonable.

Enquiries have been made about the 87 Roeda. That DP V96 price beats Four Wails - very good value..

[djewesbury]

I come as a humble acolyte (albeit one whose ranking has passed into the minor vintages for the first time!) with this question.

You are buying a case or two, or three, of Port for General Use. Something with decent cellar age, ready to drink but also with some future ahead of it. Nothing too stellar. What would it be, and why?

Congratulations to your promotion to the rank of Vintage. Even if I do agree that some old (traditional) LBV's might be surprisingly good, I do think that it is a vintage you should go for to celebrate your promotion.

My thoughts exactly!

[Alex Bridgeman]

If you are convinced that you want a vintage port cellar defender then my advice would change slightly. 1985-1998 seem to be vintages which are in plentiful supply, which are drinking really nicely now but will hold, yet the lesser houses occasionally offer up significant bargains in the secondary market. My cut-off for bargain hunting is £20 per bottle - less is a bargain.

Be patient and buy opportunistically and you should be able to get some of the following, the prices quoted being the ones I have seen (or bought at) in the last few years at auction, private sale, wine merchant, or crazy supermarket promotions:

Bomfim 1992 @ £19 ib (merchant)
Canais 1992 @ £18 (auction)
Eira Velha 1994 @ £12 (merchant)
Fonseca Guimaraens 1988 @ £15 (supermarket)
Fonseca Guimaraens 1996 @ £18 (auction)
Martinez 1994 @ £18 ib (merchant)
Tesco 1994 @ £12 (supermarket - some bottle variation but good bottles drink beautifully and poor bottles get returned to Tesco for a refund and replacement)
Vargellas 1998 @ £11 (supermarket - drinking nicely today but will continue to evolve and mature for the next 30 years if well cellared)

Of all of these, the Vargellas 1998 was the bargain I couldn't believe.

Tesco 1994 is decent value at its full price of about £20, but occasionally Tesco seems to mark this down to about £15 and then include the port in their "buy 6 bottles and get 25% off" deals - making it about £12 a bottle and a bit of a steal.

So have fun. My current house port is the Warre LBV from 1986-1981, which are just fabulous, with the good stuff being opened for special occasions (such as me arriving home safely after a day at work).