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Our friends' first baby, Jasper, was born in November 2007. We were thrilled to be asked to be godparents and would like to buy Jasper a gift which he will be able to keep. We thought that a bottle of port from the year of his birth would be ideal, as it will probably be ready to drink when he comes of age and 2007 looks set to be a vintage year.
Submitted by Jon Brumwell (Telford, UK)
An excellent idea to buy your godson some Vintage Port as a gift. Indeed as it says on the website:
"Laying down a few cases at birth is an excellent and longstanding tradition, in particular because the wine will begin to be drinkable at the child's 21st birthday, so it is ideal as a present at birth. After that the wine will last a lifetime and the recipient can taste the wine of his or her birth throughout their life. There is nothing better than drinking the wine of your birthday - even better as you get older. Furthermore, the Vintage Port should increase in value considerably over time. If the child is not born in a 'Declared' Vintage year, then there normally is a Quinta Vintage Port available (unless in terrible years such as 1993). The Quinta Port will not have the same reputation or price of the Declared year, but nevertheless, from a good producer, it will age very well."
Although there is no doubt that 2007 was a very good year it is still too early to talk about a declaration as it is necessary to see how the wines develop in cask until the end of the year. Should 2007 come to be declared the wines would normally be released in the spring of 2009.
My father has lots of Vintage Port bottles in his wine cellar (Taylor's 1930, Warre's 1963, Barros 1945, etc) but all of them are stored vertically. What are the odds that this wine is still in good conditions? Is it worth lying down the bottles at this stage?
Submitted by Fradique Carvalhas (Porto, Portugal)
Without actually looking at the bottles and tasting the wines it is difficult to fully access the situation and the state they are in. However there is a good chance that the corks have dried out and the air got in. Ideally these should have been stored lying down in order to keep the cork from drying out. The danger is that if the corks have dried out and you lie the bottles down now, seepage of the wine will occur from the bottles. Perhaps you should taste some of the bottles in order to access their condition. If they prove to be in good condition you might then explore the possibility of re-corking the rest. Please see below what is posted on the Vintage Port Site.
RE-CORKING
Re-corking bottles is becoming rarer these days, however with some of the very old Vintage Ports (pre-1960s) it is recommended that the wine should be checked from time to time for evidence of excessive seepage or other damage to the cork. A reputable traditional wine merchant will normally offer a re-corking service. Once re-corked sufficient time should be given to allow the wine to recover (ideally 12 months) before drinking.
Krohn Colheita 1960 or 1961.
Is this a vintage port. If not, is it as good as a vintage port?
How would you assess it?
Submitted by Chris Rawlinson (Göteborg, Sweden)
No, these are not Vintage Ports, they are Tawny Ports of a Single Harvest. Please see below for a fuller explanation.
COLHEITA PORTS
Colheita Ports are Tawnies of a single year, which must be matured in wood for a minimum of seven years before they are bottled. They share some of the characteristics of the old Tawnies with an indication of age (10, 20, 30 years old), although as wines of a single harvest the individual features of each year are distinctively reflected. Conversely, aged Tawny Ports with an indication of age are blended to express a consistent style with little or no variation. The date of bottling is indicated on the back label. This allows one to work out how many years were spent in cask prior to bottling.
VINTAGE PORTS
These wines represent the pinnacle of Port quality: they are the very finest wines, selected exclusively from the top estates and made only in exceptional years (on average this happens about three times in each decade) and even then, in very small quantities. Vintage Ports are bottled unfiltered after two to three years in wood and they continue to mature many years. Many will continue to improve for 30 years or more. Vintage Port ages superbly in bottle for several decades, but is also approachable when young – the variety of aromas and flavours contained in the glass of young Vintage Port offers enormous pleasure. On of the great strengths of Vintage Port is that it gives equal pleasure enjoyed young and after several decades in the bottle.
I hope this helps to explain the difference between the two different styles. Vintage Ports as I said are at the pinnacle of Port quality; however, Colheita Ports are also very good in a different style and I do hope you enjoy your two bottles of Krohn Colheita 1960 and 1961.
My brother is celebrating his 30th birthday this year and I was keen to get him a bottle of 30yr old 'vintage' port. I've been having a look at your website and gather that the wine produced in 1978 was not considered to be of sufficient quality for a vintage year to be declared. Not to be phased by this, I've decided to look into getting him a 1977 port instead and wondered if you had any particular recommendations. I'm looking to spend up to about £70.
Submitted by Andy Brizell (St. Helier, Jersey)
The 1977 Vintage is an excellent choice as it is considered one of the finest Vintages of the 20th Century.
I recently tasted the Dow 1977 and Graham 1977 and can recommend these to you as a very good choice and they should also fit into your budget.
Some years ago I received a present of 1992 Ferreira LBV Port, from a representative of the portuguese govt. Just wondering does this vintage have any value?
Submitted by Noel Donnelly (Sligo, Ireland)
Whereas “declared” Vintage Ports from reputable houses will increase in value over time this is not the case with Late Bottled Vintage.
Late Bottled Vintage
LBV Ports are a blend of wines from the best vineyards from a single good vintage, bit it is not a “declared” Vintage Port. Whereas Vintage Port spends only two years in oak cask and then matures in bottle, LBV is aged in seasoned oak casks and then bottled when it is between four and six years old. At the time of bottling, it has completed its maturation and is ready for drinking without the need for decanting. These wines have more depth and complexity than a Ruby or standard tawny but are softer and more approachable than Vintage Port. Typically LBVs have a powerful, attractive aroma, rich, full, fruity flavours and a long finish, combined with the softness gained from wood ageing. LBVs are superb with cheeses, nuts and dried fruits after a meal.
Vintage Port
These very special Ports are made only from the finest wines from the top estates in the prime Cima Corgo vineyards and only from vintages which are deemed so exceptional that a Vintage year is declared by the Port shippers. They are the pinnacle of Port quality. Vintage Ports are bottled unfiltered after two to three years in wood and they continue to mature many years. Many will continue to improve for 30 years or more. Vintage Ports begins life a vibrant purple colour but this softens with age as they gain in complexity. Expect explosively perfumed aromas of dark, ripe fruit with a rich, concentrated, full-bodied palate and long, intense finish. These wines should be stored lying down and decanted before serving.
In recent years the most widely declared vintages have been 1983, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2003.
I would therefore suggest that you enjoy your bottle of LBV in the company of some good friends rather than try and sell it.
I saw your post on Selling or trading Port and I wonder if this offer is restricted to Symington brands or not.
Submitted by Herman Gerdingh (Deventer, Netherlands)
The site was originally created as a source of information for Port lovers at large, and now in its redesigned condition, permits a more varied offering of activities such creating your own cellar, and “trading” your bottles of Port if you want. I would therefore recommend that the forum is used to discuss prices of Port as it is an ideal environment to be in touch with a large community of Port aficionados and experts worldwide. In addition I can confirm that there are no restrictions on the Brands that are discussed and traded on the site as we felt that this would help to enrich the content of the forum.
Hi i have 12 bottled crate of Ramos Pinto Vintage 1983 and would like to know how i would go about selling for the best possible price?
Submitted by Robbie Malloy (Wilmslow, UK)
I would create my own cellar on The Vintage Port Site and click on the “Available for Trade“ option when adding the wine to the cellar. This will allow other Port aficionados to know that it is available for sale or trade.
What kind of ports are best for ageing/putting in my cellar?
Submitted by Ryan Kalkwarf (Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.A.)
I would suggest a selection of young Vintage Ports from recent declarations. Personally I would highly recommend Graham’s 2000 Vintage and Quinta do Vesuvio 2003 Vintage Port.
I am looking to buy bottles of Vintage Port for dinner parties and also as gifts. Are there any shops you can recommend who sells vintage at affordable prices? Not all shops have all vintages, and some online stores sell at outrageous prices. One of the items I am trying to find is a 2003 Dow's.
Submitted by Geoff Ma (Oxford, UK)
I would suggest that you have a look on the following website:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
This will tell you where you can buy the wine and prices.
I have a bottle of 1994 Graham & Dow. Would like to serve one of them at an upcoming dinner party. Would you recommend one over the other in terms of drinkability? Could you recommend some dessert pairing or cheese pairing?
Thank you.
Submitted by Su (Greensboro, USA)
Both Graham’s and Dow’s 1994 Vintage Ports are wines from “declared” years, that is, wines with an outstanding quality and aging potential. In terms of quality they are both equally well ranked and were given very good ratings in the wine press. Your choice will therefore have to be based on your sensorial preferences. While the Graham’s shows intense aromas of cassis, eucalyptus and mint, Dow’s offers rich aromas of wild berries, roses and violets, with a typical drier finish. I suggest pairing any of those wines with a home-made chocolate mousse or the “classic” Stilton cheese.