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I have a dow 77 and a croft 63 lined up

I seem to have created a tradition for opening a Cr70 for Xmas day at our house (or wherever we are on Xmas day).

Lots and lots of port.

That being said, am thinking of a bit of an unusual - a little of everything - tasting for one evening with 7-8 people (although the port may last for a couple of days). As I no longer have anything older than 1963, am thinking a port from five decades with each being from a different house (I have no 2011s where we will be drinking), and a different style. I would be interested in everyone's thoughts around what might make the most interesting tasting. I am the only fanatic, but 3-4 others are well along the path.

The last magnum (1.8litres - no typo) of 1963 Dow (these are fun with port tongs). Although I have a few other choices from the 1960s, this one is weeping, and needs to be drunk)
1977 Graham (or could do a 1970 Graham - ex-cellars) (except for a couple of scattered bottles, my 1970s decade is almost entirely Graham)
1983 Cockburn (lots of alternatives from the major houses here from the 1980s, ranging from a 1980 Sandeman or 1982 Noval to a 1985 Taylor or Fonseca)
1992 Niepoort or Fonseca. Alternatively 1991 Warre. I had thought the 1994 Vesuvio, but it was decades away from ready last year, and is not 21 in any case.
2000 Croft (or Taylor, but this just seems so very wrong)

Thoughts, gentlemen?

Many bottles of 1983 Cockburn are corked. Perhaps 80%+.

TLW wrote:Thoughts, gentlemen?

Since you eliminate the 94 Vesuvio for youth, I'd also save the 2000; Given your selection, I'd go 63,70,77,85,92 (D,G,G,T,F) instead to give the same number of ports, pretty much equally spaced, and all 21yr+. Admittedly it duplicates the Graham, so I'd probably obtain perhaps a Warre or Croft substitute for one of the 70/77 if possible, but it does also mean you have all the major houses covered.

jdaw1 wrote:Many bottles of 1983 Cockburn are corked. Perhaps 80%+.

That might well solve some of the issues around Christmas presents.

PhilW wrote:

TLW wrote:Thoughts, gentlemen?

Since you eliminate the 94 Vesuvio for youth, I'd also save the 2000; Given your selection, I'd go 63,70,77,85,92 (D,G,G,T,F) instead to give the same number of ports, pretty much equally spaced, and all 21yr+. Admittedly it duplicates the Graham, so I'd probably obtain perhaps a Warre or Croft substitute for one of the 70/77 if possible, but it does also mean you have all the major houses covered.

I have the 77 Warre, and may give it a try. It is always a pleasant wine by itself, but sometimes shows poorly in comparison. A bit "Miss Congeniality".

heh i have a case and a half of 83 cockburn at 18$/btl

Well, my family is going to try a few bottles. A 95 taylor vargellas, an 87 niepoort, and the '11 fonseca and Taylor because my dad wants to try a couple from this vintage.

gardenhose wrote:Well, my family is going to try a few bottles. A 95 taylor vargellas, an 87 niepoort, and the '11 fonseca and Taylor because my dad wants to try a couple from this vintage.

very nice!!

i'd say the taylor, pop and pour to taste at the start of the meal.

but defintely keep it around till the end of the meal. The taylor will certainly reward.
(the 11 and the 95)

For X-mas I'm planning on opening a 1963 Ferreira as well as a 1955 Cockburn & a 1966 Delaforce.

A tricky question. I will be the only particularly committed port drinker (one person present at the Xmas table, who used to work in the Graham's lodge, is taking it easy this year; there will even be some teetotallers there ). I think a Graham 20YO will be all I can get away with opening on the day, but I will have something over the surrounding days; depends what turns up before then (72 bottles are on their way here...)

djewesbury wrote: (72 bottles are on their way here...)

And what about new year?
I am going to have at the magnum of Warre '70 that started the rewax thread. Or perhaps next year.

Found a slightly weepy 70 cockburn. It's wife just left. Perhaps it should be a Christmas mercy killing.

friends coming into town now

so the port got upgraded to a 45' Sandeman

and my generous friends are bringing a 86' Cheval Blanc, Latour and a Margaux ;-)

g-man wrote:friends coming into town now

so the port got upgraded to a 45' Sandeman

and my generous friends are bringing a 86' Cheval Blanc, Latour and a Margaux ;-)

Sounds like a plan!

Please let us know how the Sandeman '45 is holding up. I have a couple, and am planning on opening the first in 2015.

We always have a big family dinner, so perfect timing for opening bigger bottles.

For the Port I will most probably go for a Graham Mg. 79 or Dow 75 which are very nice to enjoy from a Mg.

Axel

I have a leeking Niepoort Colheita 1912. I guess have to drink it

And for New Years, a cockburns 1963.

Cheers from
Macallan

I'm currently drinking my way through a bottle of 2008 Royal Tokaji Wine Company 5 puttonyas Tokaji - very youthful and enjoyable. I might get another bottle of this for Christmas.

Krohn Colheita Branco 1964 (sorry, Glenn)

DRT wrote:Krohn Colheita Branco 1964 (sorry, Glenn)

:yumyum:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I'm hoping to get my hands on a bottle of the Vesuvio 2011 to keep my tradition going of drinking a Vesuvio from the most recent release at Christmas. I started in the late '90s and have managed it every Christmas since (having the 2001 vintage in both 2003 and 2004).

I may have to break open the '63 Fonseca.

Taylor 1945. Because it's Christmas.

JSW9 wrote:I may have to break open the '63 Fonseca.

the proper way to break open a bottle of port

g-man wrote:

JSW9 wrote:I may have to break open the '63 Fonseca.

the proper way to break open a bottle of port

You picked up on my verbiage I see.....I did "break open" my first '63 Fonseca back in the early 90's with a pair of tongs I picked up along the way.....they have "Sandeman" engraved on the handle....don't know if they're particularly good tongs or not, they're the only tongs I know!

JSW9 wrote:

g-man wrote:

JSW9 wrote:I may have to break open the '63 Fonseca.

the proper way to break open a bottle of port

You picked up on my verbiage I see.....I did "break open" my first '63 Fonseca back in the early 90's with a pair of tongs I picked up along the way.....they have "Sandeman" engraved on the handle....don't know if they're particularly good tongs or not, they're the only tongs I know!

btw

might I direct you to a fonseca tasting we're putting together for those of us on the east coast.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7725

JSW9 wrote:You picked up on my verbiage I see.....I did "break open" my first '63 Fonseca back in the early 90's with a pair of tongs I picked up along the way.....they have "Sandeman" engraved on the handle....don't know if they're particularly good tongs or not, they're the only tongs I know!

I've got a pair of those and was using them at our Christmas offline in 2012. They worked very well, just had a tendency to bend easily when hot and occasionally need to be bent back into shape to be capable of making contact all the way round the neck of the bottle.