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I was given a bottle of Adriano Ramos-Pinto 1985 Late Bottled Vintage port for Christmas several years ago. The only thing I know about port is that it gets better with age. Is this a good bottle of port and when should I enjoy it? Is it worth anything? Also, would this label be a good gift for a friend turning 50?
Submitted by Rhonda (Gainesville, USA)
While classic Vintage Ports will often improve for over 50 years depending on the year and storage conditions (ideally 12-16ºc in the dark with the bottle laid down, this is a Late Bottled Vintage Port. Late Bottled Vintage Ports are not made for extensive ageing and indeed in most cases (depending on the house) are bottled when ready to drink. I would therefore recommend that you do not age the bottle further and enjoy it soon in the company of friends, bearing in mind that perhaps it has already aged a little too long.
In terms of value, while Vintage Port will valorize over time this is not the case with LBV.
Dear Johnny, I have some Croft 1977, bottled 1979 and Croft 1982, bottled 1984. Could you tell me whether these wines are now maure and whether they would benefit for keeping longer?
Submitted by Martin (Wimborne, Dorset)
1977 was a classic Vintage, producing concentrated, long-lasting and complex Vintage Ports. Declared by all the major Port houses. The 1977’s are now beginning to reach their full maturity and likely to be to be ready for drinking. As they age further, they will begin to develop gently into a more tawny style wine. From my experience, the wines from 1977are drinking well now but will repay further ageing if you want to keep them longer.
1982 was a good Vintage, with elegant and aromatic wines. Declared by a few houses, but most made Quinta wines. Mature now, the best will age well for some years. Not long-term wines, however of very good quality and a pleasure to drink. They tend to have a raisiny style.
I would probably start by drinking this one and then move onto the 1977.
Hi Johnny
I have always enjoyed Port but recently i have come to be interested in Vintage Ports. This is due to in being my 40th Birthday approaching (too fast) in September and i began to look for a 40 year old port to treat my self with. It is also my fathers 60th in August. Can you recommend a good 40 year old port and a 60 year old port for me to buy for both occassions. ( the 60 year old looks like its going to cost me as 1948 seems to have been a good year, though so does 1968.
Many thanks i look forward to hearing your advise.
Submitted by philip watson (Bishopton stockton on Tees, UK)
1948
Regarding the 60 year old Vintage Michael Broadbent stated in his book Vintage Wine:
“1948 – a very good vintage but declared by only 9 shippers, which in retrospect was an unfortunate error of judgment as it turned out to be so successful. The top three ‘48s: Taylor, Graham, Fonseca”.
These wines are very rare now but you should be able to find a bottle on this website - http://www.wine-searcher.com. I was lucky enough to taste the Graham ’48 at a special tasting last year and it was sublime!
1968
This is a trickier year to make a recommendation as it was not a declared vintage year. Try and find a bottle of Malvedos 1968 Vintage if you can.
I have found a bottle of Taylors 1960 vintage port that has been stored on it's side in a cool room untouched. The cork seems to be complete but some of the wax has fallen off and the box it is in has signs of what I can only describe as large dust in a small amount under the cork. Do you think this is still good? And if I wanted to sell it how would I go about it?
Submitted by Christine Gill (Lymington, UK)
The fact that your bottle has been stored in cool conditions is definitely a positive factor to the wine being in good condition. Very old Ports such as your bottle should be checked from time to time for evidence of seepage or other damage to the cork. In this case it looks like the cork is now damaged, but the fact that there has been no seepage is also a positive factor because the cork is obviously still performing its job properly. If you want to have it re-corked, 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.
You could try and sell the bottle by creating your 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.
I have decanted a 1977 Fonseca vintage port. How long can it last before needing to be consumed and what is the best method for conserving its flavor?
Submitted by Elmer Ildefonso (Williamstown, USA)
Treat in the same way as any fine red wine. All good wines are prone to oxidation. Tests carried out in our tasting room show that by using a Vacuum pump and stopper preserving system (manual removal of bottle headspace air) Vintage Port that has been decanted and then poured back into its original (rinsed) bottle will stay in excellent condition for at least one week.
i have a bottle of 1970 offley e40 co boa vista port it was given to my son as a christening present back in 1990 with instructions to be opened on his 21st birthday (june 2011) could you please tell me a little something about this port?
Submitted by barry neve (peacehaven, england)
1970 was one of the absolutely finest Vintage years of the last 50 years and declared by all the major houses. A classic Vintage, with great balance, good structure, and long-lived wines.
I’m afraid that I have not personally tasted this wine so cannot comment.
i was just wondering how long the vintage port that was bottled in 1998 would last for.
Submitted by gill (u.k, chester)
Single Quinta Vintage Ports from the 1998 harvest (1998 was not a fully declared Vintage year) are now beginning to show some of the wonderful characteristics of bottle matured wine. They can be drunk now, but will almost certainly repay a few more years in your cellar.
For a friend to celebrate the birth of his son, I would like to by him a case of Port from the 2006 harvest. It would be great if you could recommend a good buy for a port that could be put away for twenty or so years, my budget would be approx £200-00. Can you advise if this likely to be declared a vintage year?
Submitted by chris martin (Cranbrook, kent - uk)
We have just launched two 2006 Vintage Ports in the UK both of which I recommend:
- Quinta do Vesuvio 2006 Vintage Port
- Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira 2006 Vintage Port
2006 was not a declared Vintage Year and these are Vintage Ports from an individual Estate:
Quinta (Estate) Vintage Port - Excellent Port produced from an individual Quinta or Estate. These wines will age very well in bottle and are considered optimal between 8 and 20 years old. Again, the best wines will age very well for considerably longer.
These have not yet been shipped, but are likely to be available in the UK before Christmas.
Can a bottle of port be any good if it has been standing upright for many years? My wife was given a bottle of port. [...] It has no label, just an Averys 1773 logo and patent in raised letters on the front, and Bristol on the back. We've never kept it in a cellar and it's never been racked.
Submitted by Terry King (Kettering, England)
If the bottle has been standing up for 30 years there is a good chance that the cork will have dried out and the air got in, eventually oxidising the wine. The danger is that if the cork has dried out and you lie the bottle down now, seepage of the wine will occur from the bottles. The only way to find out if the wine is now still in condition is to open the bottle and taste it.
I have recently purchased a bottle of Warre's 1958 vintage port to celebrate my 50th birthday, the cork appears to be in good condition and the level in the neck appears to be normal. Can you advise me of any particular decanting techniques I should apply to when opening the bottle and should it be left to breathe or drunk immediately?
Submitted by Philip Cross (Solihull, UK)
Please see below our recommendations from the site on decanting Vintage Port.
http://www.thevintageportsite.com/guide_To_Vintage_Port.aspx?pg=6
I hope you enjoy the bottle!