Roses tend to suffer mildew before the vines do, so if a rose bush planted near the entrance to a quinta starts showing mildew, it's time to spray.What was the old method? You’d grow some roses and see how many aphids they attracted since they are more sensitive?
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- 11:57 Thu 21 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: The last 5 years: good luck or an improvement?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 178
Re: The last 5 years: good luck or an improvement?
- 18:39 Wed 20 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: The last 5 years: good luck or an improvement?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 178
Re: The last 5 years: good luck or an improvement?
My feeling is that the greatest improvements in recent years have been at the mid range of the quality spectrum. The producers have far better weather forecasts than in years past, so when the season's weather is challenging, they are much better informed now when it comes to deciding whether to pic...
- 13:51 Sun 03 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
Although I've never been quite sure when or why Niepoort makes a Crusted One of my great revelations with port was discovering just how absurd making wines from a single vintage is. Blending stocks from a single vintage to make a good wine is far harder than working with stocks from different years...
- 13:41 Sun 03 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
I'll bung an email off to Raymond - Dirk's UK agent - to see when and how much he's expecting to get.
- 13:21 Sun 03 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
I'm intrigued to see what the 2016-2018 LBVs offer over the next couple of years. I'm looking out for the Niepoort 2016 LBV with interest. 2016 was the year Niepoort had it's big family upset, and Dirk couldn't bring himself to declare a regular VP, only declaring a small amount of Bioma. Officiall...
- 11:54 Sun 03 Jan 2021
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Pointless Statistics
- Replies: 209
- Views: 74219
Re: Pointless Statistics
My vintage port count has remained fairly steady over the past year, currently at 6063 bottles, but my LBV collection has grown significantly. I currently have 631 different vintage ports, with an average age of 34 years, 1 month, 28 days, 1 hour and 42 minutes. My vintage port collectively gains an...
- 22:15 Sun 27 Dec 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Vintage Character Port
- Replies: 5
- Views: 735
Re: Vintage Character Port
I don't dispute DRT's post. I am preserving, for posterity, a couple of good examples of VC. The lesser styles of port do not survive the test of time. I have a half (and sadly empty) bottle of 'Invalid Port', but despite sales running into many millions, and from more than one producer, I have neve...
- 18:52 Mon 14 Dec 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
Anyway, if you're doing a TTF vertical, I have the '82, '86 & '96 availableThat is... as I should have expected... a much better idea!
- 18:36 Mon 14 Dec 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
I save the last bottle of each vintage - not the last bottle of every wineI thought you saved the last bottles of ports for the legacy port bottle library!?
- 12:55 Mon 14 Dec 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Latest buy
- Replies: 1563
- Views: 359605
Re: Latest buy
You should have asked - I drank my one and only TTF '88 a fortnight ago!I paid a full price but TTF 88 in bottle is rare as hen's teeth
- 16:00 Fri 04 Dec 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Port for sale by retailer
- Replies: 1271
- Views: 364500
Re: Port for sale by retailer
I got that mailshot too - but I found the detail too vague, to sign up at the price.
50cL bottles would fall short of my expectations, unless very special.
50cL bottles would fall short of my expectations, unless very special.
- 18:42 Wed 25 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Decanting time: Advice and Discussion
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2031
Re: Decanting time: Advice and Discussion
I think Roy's numbers were way too low on the middle distance. Bottles in the 20 - 35 year range are usually significantly better after a day in the decanter - some need even longer.
On the other hand, bottles over 50 years old rarely gain much, and are usually fine from a fresh decant.
On the other hand, bottles over 50 years old rarely gain much, and are usually fine from a fresh decant.
- 19:41 Tue 24 Nov 2020
- Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
- Topic: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
- Replies: 95
- Views: 12098
Re: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
Rebello '66 decanted 6.30
- 17:44 Tue 24 Nov 2020
- Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
- Topic: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
- Replies: 95
- Views: 12098
Re: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
I'm going to save the sample bottles for a future occasion when they can be properly shared.
As no-one else seems to be opening one, I'll pop a Rebello '66..
As no-one else seems to be opening one, I'll pop a Rebello '66..
- 17:07 Mon 23 Nov 2020
- Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
- Topic: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
- Replies: 95
- Views: 12098
Re: Tue 24 November 2020 - A Tasting with Sophia Bergqvist
I've rather neglected this section of the forum over the past few months..
..I do have a couple of bottles of old De la Rosa LBV that Sophia sent over at the beginning of the year - waiting for a tasting occasion that has not been possible to arrange yet.
..I do have a couple of bottles of old De la Rosa LBV that Sophia sent over at the beginning of the year - waiting for a tasting occasion that has not been possible to arrange yet.
- 08:06 Mon 23 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Port for sale by retailer
- Replies: 1271
- Views: 364500
Re: Port for sale by retailer
Waitrose are knocking down the price of the Warre LBV (07), the Sandeman LBV (15) and the Vargellas (02?) by between 20% and 25% currently. The Warre 'discount' is from a deliberately inflated price, so not really a discount. The discounted Vargellas price is reasonable, but the lack of a quoted vi...
- 15:51 Sun 22 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: Sparkling Port
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1396
Re: Sparkling Port
On the subject of heretical port cocktails, I do find that if an old bottle of Claret or Burgundy lacks the body to age with elegance, and instead has become rather harsh; adding a dash of ordinary ruby port can work wonders..
- 14:54 Thu 19 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: LBV Roundup
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2031
Re: LBV Roundup
For 'a bit' read half a century or so..Dirk Niepoort has said that he likes them with a bit of bottle age.
- 19:49 Mon 16 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2160
Re: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
Do you think that TPF might have a lot more half bottles of different vintages (SQVP's etc.) still hanging around. I'm sure there would be enough interest here to do a deal for a pallet or two? There's no harm asking! Mind you - start totting up the cost before you start talking pallet loads - ther...
- 10:24 Mon 16 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2160
Re: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
Would be quite up for buying a load of halves of these - at a sensible price The wear / scuff marks on the letter and Taylor label in Axel’s photo suggests they have been stored already assembled, too, which must make preparing them for sale a bit of a nightmare: I wouldn’t be confident that none o...
- 21:13 Sun 15 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2160
Re: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
I wonder what the back story to those half bottle gift packs is? Not normal to keep bottles in fancy packaging in lodge for an extended period. I've never seen one at auction, so if they were offered before but didn't sell as well as expected, it doesn't seem to have been in the UK. - Have they been...
- 09:25 Sat 07 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: LBV Roundup
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2031
Re: LBV Roundup
Regarding corks. Branding adds to the cost and then that batch of corks can only be used for a specific bottle. Why most wine companies around the world use generic corks for most wines bottled is the reduced cost and flexibility of use. It just makes fiscal sense for most bottles. A worry is the c...
- 13:33 Fri 06 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: LBV Roundup
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2031
Re: LBV Roundup
Tom, I was wondering what your view is of Taylor's, Graham's, Dow's and Cockburn's LBV selection? they all seem to be on the cheap end of the market, except for Dow? I was focusing on the unfiltered and very lightly filtered LBVs that should have ample ability to bottle age. Taylor ages to advantag...
- 18:32 Thu 05 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2160
Re: TFP 1994 VP special release for US market
A couple of years ago I was chatting to David Guimaraens as to what cellar remnants the TFP might be interested in disposing of. 'We have far too many half bottles kicking around' - he replied..
- 17:08 Thu 05 Nov 2020
- Forum: Port Conversations
- Topic: LBV Roundup
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2031
LBV Roundup
At any one time there are about a hundred LBVs on offer from the various producers. Keeping up with that number is a bit daunting. So, as I have no fireworks to light tonight, here are 24 producers who seem to me to merit some attention: - Tax exclusive prices shown are from Portugal Vineyards 1) J ...