London Quinta De Vargellas tasting - 24th March

[benread]

Given the interest in this subject in a separate thread, I have started this to record specific interest in this.

Current confirmed attendees:

Benread
JacobH
AHB
DRT
UncleTom
Nicos Neocleous
Christopher
WS1
Ghandhi

Wines that I think have been committed are:

1964 - UncleTom
1965 - DRT Note: Must be drunk 28th March =/- 7 days
1967 (bottled 1970) - Benread
1967 (bottled 1969) - JacobH
1972 - Ghandhi
1978 - Christopher
1982 - AHB (Bottled sourced courtesy of Glenn)
1987 - Nicos Neocleous
1991 - WS1
1996 - Kindly offered by AxelP despite his non-attendance. As it is his birthday on 24th March, I hereby declare this bottle as the official toasting bottle!

Venue:

The Crusting Pipefrom 6.30pm with port consumption to commence after dinner to allow for those with less flexible jobs to make the tasting. Booking now confirmed for the 'tunnel'. 9 people. Set price menu is available - 2 course for £14.95 (has this come down in price?)

[DRT]

I also have TQdV98 and possibly 96 at home.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Given the company, I would nominate a bottle of Vargellas 1964 as my contribution. Not sure of dates, however. I need to get my new job under my belt to understand what my travel and other commitments will be. The good news is that my office will be on the same train line as I use to get home from an offline so at least the logistics should be easy if I am office based on the day of the tasting.

[JacobH]

I don’t have very much Vargellas, but I could also offer some ’96 halves if we’d rather have 75cl per vintage. Not quite sure what I’ll be doing on those dates yet; will confirm.

[DRT]

Do you think we should include the Vargellas 1958?

[benread]

Do you think we should include the Vargellas 1958?

Only if one of us wins the lottery in a significant way!

[Axel P]

I do only have 95, 96 and 2000 VVV. Do we include these as well. I guess it would be a shame to open this at this early stage.

Like to be in, but do not know if I can make it over the channel at this specific date. Is a weekend day an option as well. Like fridays or saturdays?

Axel

[JacobH]

Perhaps we could do it as a Mature (60s-ish) v. Young (90s-ish) tasting?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Do you think we should include the Vargellas 1958?

Absolutely we should - just not this particular bottle!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Perhaps we could do it as a Mature (60s-ish) v. Young (90s-ish) tasting?

Personally, I would prefer to try and find some other mature vintages of Vargellas that are not too pricey. For example, Ancient & Modern Wines have the 1972 for £40.

[JacobH]

Perhaps we could do it as a Mature (60s-ish) v. Young (90s-ish) tasting?

Personally, I would prefer to try and find some other mature vintages of Vargellas that are not too pricey. For example, Ancient & Modern Wines have the 1972 for £40.

Fair enough. Is there anything else we can easily get hold of? In addition to the ’72, Corney & Barrow also has some ’78 for £40.25 and Nickolls & Perks has ’82 for £35. Declared Vargellas vintages for this period are, I believe:

1958
1961
1964
1965
1967
1968
1969
1972
1974
1976
1978
1982
1984

(Oddly my booklet from Taylor’s doesn’t include a ’55).

[DRT]

I just remembered I also have the 1968, so that can be added to the line-up.

I also have a 1964 that I have already "sold" to Glenn, so if we can do this when he is in the UK we could have that in the line-up too

[Glenn E.]

I also have a 1964 that I have already "sold" to Glenn, so if we can do this when he is in the UK we could have that in the line-up too

Is that in addition to the 1964 Graham's Malvedos that you traded me for the 1965 Warre's Grand Reserve and the 1964 Fonseca Guimarraens that I had sent to you for storage?

If you do also have a "spare" 1964 Vargellas earmarked for me, then I'm going to have to start looking for another 1965 to trade you for it!

[DRT]

I also have a 1964 that I have already "sold" to Glenn, so if we can do this when he is in the UK we could have that in the line-up too

Is that in addition to the 1964 Graham's Malvedos that you traded me for the 1965 Warre's Grand Reserve and the 1964 Fonseca Guimarraens that I had sent to you for storage?

If you do also have a "spare" 1964 Vargellas earmarked for me, then I'm going to have to start looking for another 1965 to trade you for it!

Ahh, is it a Graham's I sold you? - if so then I do not have a Vargellas 64 - sorry for building up your hopes.

...but reading through this thread again I see that AHB does have at least one Vargellas 1964

[Glenn E.]

I'm pretty sure it's a Malvedos. I've seen one or two bottles of Vargellas on wine-searcher, but they've been priced beyond all reason. Scoring one of those for my little birth year collection would be a real coup.

[JacobH]

Current, extremely approximate, state of play:

1958 Acquirable from Lusa Wines for €999
1961
1964 AHB
1965 DRT Note: Must be drunk 28th March =/- 7 days
1967 JacobH, Benread
1968
1969 Acquirable via auction, 3ii2009 in London at Bonhams. Case of 10 + 3 Noval ’63. Estimate £300.
1972 Acquirable from Ancient & Modern Wines for £40.
1974
1976
1978 Acquirable from Corney & Barrow for £40.25.
1982 Acquirable from Nickollas & Perks for £35.
1984

Not that I think we are trying to arrange a serious vertical, but it appears there is certainly a lot of flexibility, especially for anyone who would like to attend but is Vargellas-less!

[Glenn E.]

I've been doing some looking for these, and I don't see a 1972 at Ancient & Modern Wines. They have a 1982 for £28.75, but no 1972 at all. Did it sell out already?

[JacobH]

I've been doing some looking for these, and I don't see a 1972 at Ancient & Modern Wines. They have a 1982 for £28.75, but no 1972 at all. Did it sell out already?

I wondered about that and assumed that Alex had acquired them!

I note that Vargellas lot at Bonhams sold for a fairly robust £575. (Oddly most of the Port sold at the pricier end of the spectrum whereas the table wines had some decent deals).

[benread]

I have now amended the title to indicate a probable date for this of Tuesday 24th March. Venue: The Crusting Pipe. Attendees:

Confirmed:
Benread
JacobH

Probable but tbc:
DRT
AHB
Christopher

Please let me know if you wish to be added to either group.

[DRT]

Based on an email exchange I had with him today, please add Christopher to the TBC list. His only barrier to attendance being the possible early delivery of the 4th member of his household.

[JacobH]

Based on an email exchange I had with him today, please add Christopher to the TBC list. His only barrier to attendance being the possible early delivery of the 4th member of his household.

I thought it was a well established precedent that that was no legitimate excuse for non-attendance at an off-line!

As far as I am aware, the following is what might or might be available on the night (of course depending on who attends):

1958 Acquirable from Lusa Wines for €999
1961
1964
1965 DRT Note: Must be drunk 28th March =/- 7 days
1967 JacobH, Benread
1968
1969
1972
1974 AHB
1976 AHB
1978 JacobH, Benread
1982 Acquirable from Nickollas & Perks for £35, AHB
1984
1986
1987
1988
1991
1995 Axel P
1995 VV Benread
1996 JacobH, Axel P
1997 VV
1998 Benread, DRT
2000 VV Axel P

[DRT]

Vargellas 1988 is available here @ £19.99 per bottle

I have no idea where East Ealing is but if any of the London-based members frequent that area perhaps they could pick one up?

[JacobH]

It’s miles away from me, I’m afraid. Does anyone else go in that direction? If not, they apparently offer delivery within the M25...

Incidentally, we have competition.

[JacobH]

Opps...didn’t mean to hit ‟submit” before posting the following:

A Vertical Tasting of Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas
Date: Mar 03, 2009 (Tue)
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Cost: $325

Place: Warwick Hotel
65 West 54th Street (corner of 6th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019

Guest Speaker: Adrian Bridge, Managing Director, Taylor Fladgate

Situated high in the mountain reaches of the Upper Douro, Quinta de Vargellas is the jewel in Taylor’s crown. Acquired in 1893, this quinta, with almost 68 hectares under vine, provides the backbone for Taylor’s vintage Port. Beginning with the 1958 vintage, Taylor was the first house to offer a single quinta port, bottled in years when Taylor chooses not to declare a Vintage Port. It is made from grapes still crushed 100% by foot, aged in wood for two years, and then bottled the same way as a declared vintage.

Connoisseurs of Port have come to realize that Quinta de Vargellas is often superior to Vintage Ports from other houses. Certainly the high price one must pay for Quinta de Vargellas is a good indication of its stature in the marketplace.

We are delighted to welcome back our friend Adrian Bridge to host this unique tasting for EWS of 13 vintages of Quinta de Vargellas, sent directly to New York from Oporto: 1958 (rare first vintage! • 1965 • 1967 • 1970 (never released!) • 1976 • 1978 • 1984 • 1988 • 1991 • 1995 VV • 1997 VV • 2000 VV • 2005

Special bonus: the finest Stilton (from Murray’s Cheese) will be served to accompany these magnificent Ports!

Part of me feels that we are honour-bound to do better.

[DRT]

That certainly is an interesting line-up and we will do well if we come close to matching the 58 and 3 x VVs.

But I do have a little good news to share. I have managed to secure a Vargellas 1987 for the tasting