ThePortForum.com

Boot and Flogger booked. 1830 start

1. GEAG [Sainsbury's, Feuerheerd, Taylor's]
2. OJW [guest of GEAG] [adopting Graham from GEAG]
3. Will W. [Ramos Pinto, Pocas]
4. jdaw1 [Fonseca]
5. M.Charlton [adopting Gould Campbell from GEAG]
6. nac [Noval]
7. CPR1 [Martinez]
8. HTWH [Smith Woodhouse]
9. akzy [adopting Rebello Valente from GEAG]
10. idj123 [Ca]
11. Screagle [OBV]
12. JB [guest of nac] [adopting Churchill from GEAG]
13. KAJG [guest of jdaw1] [adopting Warre from jdaw1]
14. Guest of HTWH [adopting Dow from HTWH]

Who has what

GC - GEAG, Will W, Screagle, CPR1, HTWH
Ch - GEAG, nac, Screagle, jdaw1, HTWH
F - GEAG, nac, Will W, Screagle, jdaw1, CPR1, HTWH
G - GEAG, Will W, Screagle, jdaw1, HTWH
T - GEAG, Will W, Screagle, CPR1, HTWH
Fd - GEAG
RV - GEAG, Will W
Sains - GEAG
Mz - jdaw1, CPR1
N - nac, Screagle
OBV - Screagle
Cá - Will W, Screagle, idj123, HTWH
RP - Will W. Screagle
Pç - Will W
SW - HTWH
W - nac, Screagle, jdaw1, HTWH
D - Screagle, jdaw1, CPR1, HTWH

QH - CPR1
Ni - Will W
B Will W
Bo - Will W
KSL - Wil W
Hooper - nac, CPR1
In - Will W
Fr - Will W
RO - nac
Co - HTWH
MG - HTWH

Current draft of the placemats.





I previously wrote:

It has been 5 years and 355 days since the last 1985 horizontal. Might we be interested in another?

My records suggest I have Gould Campbell, Churchill, Fonseca, Graham, Taylor, Feuerheerd, Rebello Valente, and Sainsbury's (Quinta Dona Matilde).

The last three of these did not feature in the previous 1985 tasting. There appear to be no notes for the Sainsbury's or the Rebello Valente but I cannot promise that any of those three would sweep the awards board.

I am not sure I would get many takers for a 'minor 1985s' tasting (or a 'minor 1980s' tasting). Perhaps we could go for the 'ones likely to be strong, but with some more obscure comparators'.

LTBS might cover Warre, Fonseca, Graham, Gould Campbell, Offley, Taylor, Churchill and possibly Sandeman and Ramos Pinto.

In the conversation thread, rather than the organising tasting thread, for now, for comment. If there is enthusiasm, might set this up for 16th or 23rd March 2022.

I'm in, if and when a decision is taken to firm this up. If my cellar list is up to date, I have Ferreira, Ramos Pinto, Graham, Fonseca, Infantado, Pocas Junior, Burmester, Calem, Borges (to my shame), Taylor, Rebello Valente, Niepoort, Gould Campbell and Kopke Sao Luiz.

Definitely Maybe. At the last tasting they were still showing very young, so it would be interesting to see the development.

Yes please.

Yes please.

Definitely.

Believe I have Churchill, Fonseca, Gould Campbell, Hooper, Noval, Royal Oporto and Warre.

yes please

Yes please; have Dows, Delaforce, Martinez, Offley Boa Vista, Taylors and Warres.

Yes please!

Almost 6 years since the last such horizontal-time to reasess. I’m in!

Yes, please - I have the "LTSB" range (excepting Sandeman) as well as Dow's, Noval, Cálem and others (tbc). As it happens this vintage is most widely represented in my cellar so I'd be loathe to miss this horizontal - dates are good too...

Saúde

Yes please!

Subject to the date, I'm in. This will be an extremely interesting tasting for me as, over the last 12-18 months, I have been coming to the conclusion that the 1985 vintage is at the bottom of one of the cycles which we all believe Vintage Port to go through during its life.

Yes please! I have a few different options including magnums

Please can I be added to the reserves?

Reserve list please, thanks.

nac wrote: ↑15:46 Mon 15 Nov 2021 Believe I have Churchill, Fonseca, Gould Campbell, Hooper, Noval, Royal Oporto and Warre.

Now also have Feist (in magnum).

I have 26 different '85s, so let me know if any are proving hard to find

This tasting is barely a month away. This weekend I am making my last visit to the cellar before that date, so I am uplifting Rebello Valente, Sainsbury's, Churchill, Feuerheerd, Gould Campbell, Taylor's, and Graham's. I will shortly be sending out a request to other attendees to provide or adopt.

I am hopeful the average standard of the ports we sample will be better than the 1991 or 1980 tastings, but no guarantee is given...

In single I have Fonseca, Martinez, Dow, Churchill, Graham, and Warre (my preference being to bring Fonseca, failing which Martinez). In magnum Fonseca and Taylor (strong preference being to bring Fonseca).

@jdaw1 - great, Fonseca (bottle) please

After you have made all or most such decisions, I’ll draft placemats.

It seems I have no 1985 Vintage Port at home. How unexpected.

Given that starting point, the easiest for me to access would be Churchill or Warre.

It is with great regret that I am no longer in a position to attend as that is Cheltenham week and I will be otherwise engaged (and since it is the same week every year you would have thought that I would have remembered that). Tighten those bootlaces and take to the field Harry!

@ Justin K - I am sorry you will not be with us
@ HTWH - you're in!

@ Alex Bridgeman - please could you bring the Warre?

@ all (except Alex B, jdaw1, CPR1) While we would welcome 15 ports I do not thing we want to go to 18. Please could you let me know, by PM if preferred, what you have that can fill the gaps or whether you would like to adopt one of the ones I have on hand [or whether you would like to bring one of those yourself rather than adopting].

In terms of those wines I suspect we would most likely enjoy drinking that are not already listed in bold as going to be present, they are presented in roughly declining order of preference.

I am afraid I will no longer be able to attend, apologies. Rich… enjoy!

winesecretary wrote: ↑14:28 Tue 15 Feb 2022 @ all (except Alex B, jdaw1, CPR1) While we would welcome 15 ports I do not thing we want to go to 18. Please could you let me know, by PM if preferred, what you have that can fill the gaps or whether you would like to adopt one of the ones I have on hand [or whether you would like to bring one of those yourself rather than adopting].

In terms of those wines I suspect we would most likely enjoy drinking that are not already listed in bold as going to be present, they are presented in roughly declining order of preference.

If you want to reduce the number of bottles you're supplying I have plenty of the Churchill. Lots of the Noval. The Fonseca is a recent-ish release from Oporto. Hooper and Royal Oporto are individual bottles, but can't imagine we'll want those anyway. Will provide whatever you need.

winesecretary wrote: ↑14:28 Tue 15 Feb 2022 @ all (except Alex B, jdaw1, CPR1) While we would welcome 15 ports I do not thing we want to go to 18. Please could you let me know, by PM if preferred, what you have that can fill the gaps or whether you would like to adopt one of the ones I have on hand [or whether you would like to bring one of those yourself rather than adopting].

In terms of those wines I suspect we would most likely enjoy drinking that are not already listed in bold as going to be present, they are presented in roughly declining order of preference.

Please could I adopt, George?

@ M.Charlton - yes, adopting is encouraged here. I am arbitrarily assigning you the Gould Campbell (at an equally arbitrary price of £45)

@ nac - I am happy to be putting several wines into this - I suspect most will end up being adopted. Please could you bring the Noval?

@ Doggett - I am sorry you will not be able to be with us... but work calls I assume. Such is life...

@ rich_n - you're in!

Listen. Listen!

An ᴏᴡᴄ of Mz85 is calling to me. If Martinez is a chosen shipper, one of those could be adopted.

Currently, Charles is bringing the Martinez. But, I think you should open your case anyway. I had it less than two years back, and it was delicious, and fully ready (albeit I went out and bought a few more bottles immediately). One wouldn't want to let it go over. That would be a shame.

Moving has been tricky for my local port stocks. May I adopt from a kind soul?

winesecretary wrote: ↑21:05 Tue 15 Feb 2022 @ M.Charlton - yes, adopting is encouraged here. I am arbitrarily assigning you the Gould Campbell (at an equally arbitrary price of £45)

That’s very kind indeed - thank you.

@ akzy - of course. Rebello Valente, at an equally arbitrary £45.

winesecretary wrote: ↑08:11 Wed 16 Feb 2022 @ akzy - of course. Rebello Valente, at an equally arbitrary £45.

Thank you George.

winesecretary wrote: ↑21:09 Tue 15 Feb 2022 @ nac - I am happy to be putting several wines into this - I suspect most will end up being adopted. Please could you bring the Noval?

Done.

winesecretary wrote:@ Doggett - I am sorry you will not be able to be with us... but work calls I assume. Such is life...

@ rich_n - you're in!

Wonderful! I have the Dow and while that seems a popular option I would rather bring a bottle than adopt if possible.

@ rich_n - Dow it is, thank you

winesecretary wrote:@ rich_n - Dow it is, thank you

Excellent, thanks.

Over dinner on 16th February I was warned by those in the know that 1985 was 'dirty' vintage and so we should expect rather higher than usual failure rates. Accordingly I am going to suggest we go for sharing 18 different ports and hoping that 14 or 15 of them will be good.

@ Will W. , Screagle - feel free to bring a second (different) bottle of port for group adoption.

winesecretary wrote: ↑19:28 Sat 19 Feb 2022 Over dinner on 16th February I was warned by those in the know that 1985 was 'dirty' vintage and so we should expect rather higher than usual failure rates. Accordingly I am going to suggest we go for sharing 18 different ports and hoping that 14 or 15 of them will be good.

I don't recall that many bad bottles at our 1985 horizontal in 2015... one (Hoopers) was very badly corked, and perhaps my overall perception of the event is skewed by that one particular bottle seeming completely out of place, but my memory says there was only the one bad bottle out of ~35. Just a lot of very average Port punctuated by a handful of exceptional bottles.

May your tasting include all of the exceptional bottles, and no bad ones!

Glenn E. wrote: ↑00:09 Mon 21 Feb 2022

winesecretary wrote: ↑19:28 Sat 19 Feb 2022 Over dinner on 16th February I was warned by those in the know that 1985 was 'dirty' vintage and so we should expect rather higher than usual failure rates. Accordingly I am going to suggest we go for sharing 18 different ports and hoping that 14 or 15 of them will be good.

I don't recall that many bad bottles at our 1985 horizontal in 2015... one (Hoopers) was very badly corked, and perhaps my overall perception of the event is skewed by that one particular bottle seeming completely out of place, but my memory says there was only the one bad bottle out of ~35. Just a lot of very average Port punctuated by a handful of exceptional bottles.

May your tasting include all of the exceptional bottles, and no bad ones!

35? Was that over 2 days?

@ Glenn E. - "May your tasting include all of the exceptional bottles, and no bad ones" is pretty much a perfect benediction for life in general.

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑01:29 Mon 21 Feb 2022 35? Was that over 2 days?

Yes, of course, it would take too long to do 35 in one sitting. Best to break up the decanting and pouring over 2 days!

I'm also not sure that we collectively had sufficient glassware at that time for 35 bottles x 14-ish tasters for a single sitting. We do now, but at that time I think we may have only had about 8 cases of glasses (36 glasses per case). I think we now have about 18 total cases amongst the Sammamish Port Club.