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The Aldi Christmas range has hit the shelves. They are using the Fletchers Brand name this year rather than Maynards, but the 40YO tawny is available again under the new name at £34.99, a 2016 LBV at £9.49 a 20cl Reserve Ruby at £4.99 and online only you can get a 4.5l 10YO Tawny at £99.99! There are also some reasonable wines including Amarone in their Xmas catalogue.
Enjoy...

Doggett wrote: ↑12:37 Sun 01 Nov 2020 The Aldi Christmas range has hit the shelves. They are using the Fletchers Brand name this year rather than Maynards, but the 40YO tawny is available again under the new name at £34.99, a 2016 LBV at £9.49 a 20cl Reserve Ruby at £4.99 and online only you can get a 4.5l 10YO Tawny at £99.99! There are also some reasonable wines including Amarone in their Xmas catalogue.
Enjoy...

You beat me to it Simon! Managed to secure a couple of the 40yr yesterday.

idj123 wrote: ↑14:05 Sun 01 Nov 2020

Doggett wrote: ↑12:37 Sun 01 Nov 2020 The Aldi Christmas range has hit the shelves. They are using the Fletchers Brand name this year rather than Maynards, but the 40YO tawny is available again under the new name at £34.99, a 2016 LBV at £9.49 a 20cl Reserve Ruby at £4.99 and online only you can get a 4.5l 10YO Tawny at £99.99! There are also some reasonable wines including Amarone in their Xmas catalogue.
Enjoy...

You beat me to it Simon! Managed to secure a couple of the 40yr yesterday.

Interesting, I suspect it is from the same source - I wonder why they have dropped the Maynard's Brand?

it looks like it has been bottled by Barao de Vilar, which also bottle Maynards right?

also the LBV is already sold out online, it looks like. humm better get to a shop.

Thanks very much for this: I’ve just ordered a couple of bottles with a load of weird-but-cheap things to make up a case of six since the LBV sold-out. Sparkling Blue Moscato is not something I previously knew existed...

Sainsburys - Taylor's LBV 2015 - on sale for £10 down from £15.

i was picking up their last 3 bottles of 2000 TTD as they have moved onto the 2012 vintage.

Waitrose and Waitrose cellars have the 25% of 6 bottles of more. Not much on offer but Sandeman 2015 LBV under £13 (with offer) is a pretty good price.

Aldi - Fletchers Port, both 40 year tawny and LBV 2016 are back for online sales.

hadge wrote: ↑16:29 Wed 04 Nov 2020 Aldi - Fletchers Port, both 40 year tawny and LBV 2016 are back for online sales.

Thanks Harry - good spot. Missed out the other day.

nac wrote: ↑16:47 Wed 04 Nov 2020

hadge wrote: ↑16:29 Wed 04 Nov 2020 Aldi - Fletchers Port, both 40 year tawny and LBV 2016 are back for online sales.

Thanks Harry - good spot. Missed out the other day.

yeah i was the same, just thought that i would do a double check today.

Corney & Barrow sent me their full fine wine list today - extract below is everything from Portugal:

I am not sure anyone has ever linked to Good Housekeeping before as a reference for port buying...so here goes a first! I thought it was worth posting for the refreshingly honest/brutal scores for these ruby ports. The 55/100 on the 100 point scale for the Tesco special reserve made by the Symingtons must only indicate that it is wet, alcoholic, red and called port!

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/win ... ruby-port/

There's a shorter list of LBVs too: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/foo ... /lbv-port/.

I think it's interesting that they are clearly unfazed by label (notice how badly some Crusted Ports and unfiltered LBVs did) but I do wonder if they preferred the sweeter and fruitier Ports to the drier ones?

I'd be very interested to see how they're using the 100-point scale, and what if any controls were used regarding its application. I.e. that 55-point score does not match the written description.

Note: most 100-point scales are - even technically - just 50-point scales. For the ones that I've seen used for professional judging, it isn't possible to score lower than 50. I.e. a glass of mud would score 50 points. So a score of 55 should be entirely undrinkable. "This tangy red plum aroma is tart smelling with a ripe and juicy berry fruit flavour, a touch of bitterness and astringent tannins" does not sound undrinkable to me.

Ergo, they're not using the 100-point scale that wine drinkers are used to seeing.

I also find it funny that they scored Taylor's First Estate so low. When we did our multiple blind taste tests of Ruby Reserves across the US several years ago, First Estate won every tasting in which it was entered. IIRC that was 3 of 5 tastings, but one of the tastings that did not include First Estate was very small (I think only 4 bottles). At any rate, First Estate was the clear victor when the tastings were aggregated.

Even non-port-drinking friends are pointing out to me that Aldi are now doing a gallon of 10 year old tawny for £99... as previously noted above, I find. The news is here first.

Offer received yesterday from Fine & Rare (frw.co.uk) for 1994 Taylor and Fonseca. Apparently recently shipped from Oporto. Both are £570 per 6 in bond.

If you're a Wine Society member then you've probably already seen these, but if not their Christmas Fine Wine List has halves of Bomfim 2006 (£14.50), Malvedos 2010 & 2012 (£16.50), and bottles of Cavadinha 2001, 2005 & 2012 (all £29).

nac wrote: ↑11:03 Tue 10 Nov 2020 Offer received yesterday from Fine & Rare (frw.co.uk) for 1994 Taylor and Fonseca. Apparently recently shipped from Oporto. Both are £570 per 6 in bond.

I received the same offer, and if not for the fact that these are in the UK I'd have picked up a 6-pack of each. That's a good price for a couple of truly great Ports.

Another offer received from Fine & Rare today - QUINTA DO MOURÃO, SÃO LEONARDO, VERY OLD WHITE PORT, 90-YEAR-OLD - £925/bt in bond.

If anyone wants me to forward the offer email let me know.

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nac wrote: ↑10:34 Thu 12 Nov 2020 Another offer received from Fine & Rare today - QUINTA DO MOURÃO, SÃO LEONARDO, VERY OLD WHITE PORT, 90-YEAR-OLD - £925/bt in bond.

If anyone wants me to forward the offer email let me know.

A stunning port that if you can afford it would be worth every drop. I was lucky enough to have a glass at the 2019 b.f.t. and it was absolutely sublime.

nac wrote: ↑10:34 Thu 12 Nov 2020 Another offer received from Fine & Rare today - QUINTA DO MOURÃO, SÃO LEONARDO, VERY OLD WHITE PORT, 90-YEAR-OLD - £925/bt in bond.

If anyone wants me to forward the offer email let me know.

Note that those are 500 ml bottles. As I recall, all of Mourao's white Ports only come in 500 ml.

That said, the Port is amazing and comes in a very fancy toasted cork box just like this one for the 50.

Glenn E. wrote: ↑19:29 Thu 12 Nov 2020

nac wrote: ↑10:34 Thu 12 Nov 2020 Another offer received from Fine & Rare today - QUINTA DO MOURÃO, SÃO LEONARDO, VERY OLD WHITE PORT, 90-YEAR-OLD - £925/bt in bond.

If anyone wants me to forward the offer email let me know.

Note that those are 500 ml bottles. As I recall, all of Mourao's white Ports only come in 500 ml.

You’re right, it is a 50cl - missed that earlier - and yes, similar box...

Waitrose Cellar currently knocking out Graham’s 2015 LBV for £8.99 per bottle. A good cellar defender methinks?

Vargellas 2005 at Waitrose cellar for £25.99. Lowest WS price is £29.17 IB.