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I think we may have had a few exchanges about this in other threads but now that we are close to the event I thought it would be interesting to read what others will be opening on Christmas Day.

At the moment I am planning to open 2 VP's - a 1983 Gould Campbell for me and the masses and a Croft 1975 for me once everyone else has reverted to whatever else they normally drink

Derek

For me, Xmas dinner will be on Xmas Eve this year..

A Warre '47 is due to be executed earlier that day, the evening may also see the demise of a Ch. Latour '55 (amongst others..)

Tom

viewtopic.php?t=992

Possibly the same thing you are Derek - an 83 Gould Campbell. Will be the first time I ever try a port over 20 years old. Looking forward to it.

robsauce,

It was your thread that led me in the direction of the GC83

In always open 2 bottles - one that I think everyone will enjoy and one that I will then sip away at for the rest of the evening. Your thread reminded me that the GC83 would fit the bill for bottle number 1 perfectly.

Derek

As always, I will be the designated driver over the Christmas holidays and so will have limited time to enjoy a good bottle of port. We drive to my in-laws on Christmas Day and into Central London on Boxing Day so port will either be on Christmas Eve or will be spread over 2-3 evenings between Christmas and New Year.

My drinking plans may be going a little astray. I had intended to open a bottle of Cockburn 1927 that has a low shoulder fill. I found this a couple of weeks ago when I was re-racking bottles to fill a few cases for delivery to Octavian, I found the two leaking Vesuvios at the same time.

Last night I went to get the bottle out of its resting place to stand it upright for the next couple of weeks and, to my horror, found that it wasn't in its proper place. I had a quick look for it, but it seems in the re-racking exercise that something went astray and my bottles are now all over the place.

So, instead of opening the Cockburn '27, it looks like I might be opening a bottle of the Adams 1963 this Christmas. Ho hum.

Alex

It's off to my father in laws for christmas dinner he stores some of my ports and I give him free run to open what he likes Fonseca 64 last year.I'll have to wait and see.

Along the very wise lines of Dereks plans i will be opening a Fonseca '95 for the masses whilst keeping back a Sandemans '70 for my own glass. This may seem the very antithesis of Christmas spirit but i only enjoy sharing a good bottle with others who appreciate it as much as i do....if they don't, i tend to resent pouring the nectar into their glasses !!!

Simon Lisle wrote:It's off to my father in laws for christmas dinner he stores some of my ports and I give him free run to open what he likes Fonseca 64 last year.I'll have to wait and see.

Wow! Did Fonseca declare in 64? How does that compare to its great siblings, 63 and 66? When we had our Fionseca Off-Line, I dont remember that getting a mention.

On the original point, I may be having Christmas evening on my own, as Debs is attending a family Do, I may have sidestepped. In which case, I have a Dows 85 lined up, all to myself!!!

Alan

Did Fonseca declare in 64?

Not the main brew, but a Fonseca Guimaraens was made - very hard to find though..

Tom

I am contemplating either a bottle of Martinez 1985, a Fonseca Guimaraens 1988 or Dow's Quinta do Bomfim 1996. I will be at my brother's house with family so decant ahead of time.

I remember that the Guimaraens 1986 tended to die quite quickly after starting well but the 1988 at Tom's place was in very good nick. I don't have a 1987 but may pinch the last couple form Sainsbury's at full price.

As for the other wines, I've got a couple of bog-standard mags of Champagne that will go down well followed by some Red and Pink Sancerres, maybe a St Emilion and a half of Sainsbury's Sauterne (can't see my lot getting through a full bottle of Rieussec and it maybe a waste to open Ch. Latour Blanche 2003).

I just bought a lot of Delaforce bottles (77, 82 and 85) from a dutch cellar which I will taste on the days between.

On christmas itself I will see how the 94 Grahams will develop and will open a bottle of Croft 63.

Axel

My family actually doesn't drink.

But come new years, I think we'll have the traditional champagne toasting at a friends place.

should have roughly 12 different houses of champagnes.

Alas most of my friends are whiskey drinkers.

Might sneak in a Balvenie 21 yr aged in Port wood. (Does that count?)

Balvenie 21 yr aged in Port wood. (Does that count?)

Nope - no excuses!

If your family doesn't drink then that's all the more for you!

Tom

Planning on a Taylor 77 with my family, youngest brother was born in 77.

Don't know yet. There will probably be a bottle of Osborne (!) 1994 in the week between Christmas and New Year, but I think I will go with something with a better satisfaction guarantee for Christmas.

An advantage of a small family is that you are not drunk out of house and home. Christmas lunch will, therefore, be a chance to push the bat out a little.

We can kick off with some Champagne, probably Henriot '90. Next course will take some Tokaji, Oremus '93. The main course will be accompanied by Beaucastel '98. The pud demands some Pedro Ximenes.

A respectful pause for a couple of hours can herald Croft 77.

I'll then go for a five mile run.

Which statement is untrue?

You haven't got a bat?

Silly me. I meant goat.

I think it'll be a Dow '88 Bomfim on the 25th and a 375 of the '89 on the 26th. The 29th I'm attending a VP-tasting and I'll be bringing a Churchill '91.

Just put a bottle of Vargellas 1987 upright to enjoy tomorrow. Had to open a new case to do this. Always a nice feeling...

For the VP tasting that Stevie mentioned, LadyR and I will be bringing a Cavadinha 1995 and Osborne 1994. It looks like a fine week.

Every single type of port that I have in my small Manhattan apartment will be opened at the ‘emergency’ mini-tasting on Wed 26th and Thu 27th. What to do?

Check for consistency between the bottles by opening a Ramos Pinto 1985? Good idea.

Probably finish the leftover's for the '34 Rebello Valente and '40 Quarles Harris Reserve we opened on Saturday.

TN's should be out at some point.