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Hello. It seems to be a very long time since we’ve have had a Dow vertical.

Venue will be B&F.

Date 2 February 2027

Expressions of interest are being filled in with available bottles as we review our cellars. Some preference is being shown to those with bottles others cannot provide.

1. Winesecretary (1980, 2007, others TBC)
2. mcoulson (1947)
3. PhilW (1955,1966, TBC)
4. flash_uk
5. CPR1
6. idj123
7. johndavidfrance (1960, 1970)
8. jdaw1 (1970)
9. nac (1960, 1963, 1970, others TBC)
10. Alex_B (several available options)
11. Bertie3000 (1927, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1994, 2007)
12. NigelM (several available options)
13. Justin K (several available options)
14. cem (several available options)

Reserves

1. Christopher
2. hadge
3. BRPetrie
4. forest26

I am uncomfortable with suggesting people bring the sadly rare and increasingly valuable pre war bottles to a tasting where there is any chance the quiet charms of such wines might get shouted down by their coltish younger brethren. Let those be drunk, with clear and focussed appreciation, in smaller groups.

I also do not think we will want to go later than 2007. I think it likely we will end up excluding the usually disappointing 72,75,77,83 & 85 and will probably also exclude 42 & 50 as being of mainly academic interest now. I acknowledge I am not fully psychologically consistent on rarity and value, as I am enchanted by the idea of our starting with Justin's 1940, a port which I didn't know existed. It's possible therefore that we end up with the following 17 ports, which fall fairly neatly into flights.

1. 1940
2. 1945
3. 1946
4. 1947
5. 1955
6. 1958

7. 1960
8. 1963
9. 1966
10. 1970
11. 1980

12. 1991
13. 1994
14. 1997
15. 2000
16. 2003
17. 2007

Expressions of interest are being filled in with available bottles as we review our cellars. Some preference is being shown to those with bottles others cannot provide.

Current draft of the placemats.

Yes please .....

Great idea. Yes please.
55 and 66, though last bottle of each so I will need to double-check that they're still there.

Ooohh yes please

Oh yes please.

Yes please sir! Will check on bottles.

I have some Dow, count me in

Yes please. I know that I have 1970 .

@ jdaw1 - right. So, in other words, we've never had a long vertical of just Dow. We should fix that.

Given the well-publicised issues with Dow 72, 77, 83 & 85, and the indifferent experiences with 50 and 75 (I note in passing that no-one has written up notes of last year's 1975 horizontal, the absence of which speaks louder than any possible words) I will have a think about precisely how we include / do not include these six.

I also think including anything younger than 2007 is unfair (dearly though I love the 2017) so I have amended my own note above accordingly.

Yup.

From memory definitely have 60, 63 and 70 (Blenheim Palace and others).
Some 80s and 90s but need to check.

Yes please.

I’ll dig out a list of available bottles when I can.

Yes please. Will share bottles later today.

Yes please if possible. Modestly, I only have 70 or I can adopt from Martin as he has every vintage back to the Battle of Hastings.

NigelM wrote: ↑11:45 Mon 25 May 2026 Yes please if possible. Modestly, I only have 70 or I can adopt from Martin as he has every vintage back to the Battle of Hastings.

Not true ......

Yes please. Have 03, 00, and 97. Also, and FWIW, have 77 in mag.

mcoulson wrote: ↑12:06 Mon 25 May 2026

NigelM wrote: ↑11:45 Mon 25 May 2026 Yes please if possible. Modestly, I only have 70 or I can adopt from Martin as he has every vintage back to the Battle of Hastings.

Not true ......

Sorry, Civil war

Bertie3000 wrote: ↑11:24 Mon 25 May 2026 Yes please. Will share bottles later today.

1927, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1994, 2007, 2011.

Yes please and I have a 1940 (see Julian’s book)

Yes please
Need to check what I have

I have 1940, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1994 and 2000

All noted with thanks. As set out at top of first email, who attends may be somewhat rejigged from strict volunteer order to maximise coverage.

depending on the date, yes please.

We have the choice of 2nd or 9th February 2027. I propose to go for the 9th unless there are convincing representations as to why 2nd is preferable by COB Thursday 28th May.

9th February is Shrove Tuesday. It is likely that my wife will be expecting me to cook her pancakes that evening. For obvious reasons I would prefer the tasting on 2nd February or for Shrove Tuesday to be moved by a day.

That is a convincing representation. 2 February now looking more likely.

winesecretary wrote: ↑19:23 Wed 27 May 2026 That is a convincing representation. 2 February now looking more likely.

This is great, feel like i'm in a proper court case

2nd is good from my side ...

Drat. I’m away on 2nd Feb - enjoy, folks

No idea where I will be in February, but I will fly in for this if there is a place.

I know I have 24, 27, 34, 45, 55, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 77, 80, 83, 85, 91, 94, 97, 00, 03, 07, 11

Never tried the 1912 or 1947, both on the bucket list.

@cem - on the list, as, happily, will be the 1947...

May I go on reserves for this (can offer 85)

Just had a cheeky look in the cave, spotted a 60 and a 70 dow along with some 2009 but that's out of scope

Can you add me as a provisional please - Possibly in the Douro

Can offer Dow 80

I think the adjustment to the theme here is really interesting.
The number of 1920’s Port in particular is shrinking massively.
I have been lucky over the years to buy a few when they were not very much money. I have very few left and don’t expect to replace them. Once they are gone they are gone.

I think George’s comment makes alot of sense. I think the last couple of bottles I have I want to use ideally in the Douro or at smaller gatherings in London rather than in really long verticals where they will get drowned out and my sample will be very small.
I think it’s an interesting subject how we manage the impact of time and the development of ours collections.

Given the updated guidance on bottles and looking at what has been offered so far I can add / offer 94, 97, 00 and 11

if we include the 2007 I would like to suggest we also include the 2011

CPR 1 wrote: ↑16:08 Sun 14 Jun 2026if we include the 2007 I would like to suggest we also include the 2011

That’s a great call. Dow 2011 was an absolute rock star 10-12 years ago. I haven’t opened one in the last decade and would be really interested to see how it’s developing.