Search found 3518 matches

by uncle tom
22:36 Thu 22 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

Wow consistent are the weight of empty bottles of the same type? Empty bottles seem to be more constant in weight back in the sixties than they are today. Reason? - because (I think) with new bottle making technology they could; before realising that this new found ability didn't make them any mone...
by uncle tom
19:16 Mon 19 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1997 Niepoort
Replies: 1
Views: 384

Re: 1997 Niepoort

I popped one a little over year ago - moderate VA, but nothing like enough to render the bottle undrinkable. I noted that without that, it would be a monster of a wine, but not the brooding type that says 'come back in half a century' - it was readily approachable.
by uncle tom
13:22 Sun 18 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1932 Gonzalez Byass Garrafeira
Replies: 0
Views: 500

1932 Gonzalez Byass Garrafeira

Bottled 1935, decanted 1970 - Decanted again yesterday on the occasion of my uncle's 90th birthday. This, I think, the first time I've ever popped a garrafeira, and the only one I've ever come across one at auction that was not made by Niepoort. A moderately light, aromatic, balanced and most elegan...
by uncle tom
16:32 Wed 14 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

Another case inspected, this time a Gould Campbell '85, the remaining eleven bottles after the case was originally opened for the Nov '15 '85 horizontal, with the bottles first weighed soon after. Levels good, all in neck, and ordered according to visual level. Two of the bottles had stained selos, ...
by uncle tom
21:18 Sun 11 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: An Evening of Port with the Symington's, Tuesday 28th November at BBR and Friday1st December 2023 at 67 Pall Mall
Replies: 24
Views: 27371

Re: An Evening of Port with the Symington's, Thursday 1st December 2022

They might well sell the places on this, but it seems badly over-priced, and the selection of ports on offer looks scattergun and lacking a theme.

- Not for me.
by uncle tom
12:41 Sat 10 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

That’s an interesting question. Might have problems with strength, though? Particularly with uneven loading or the like? I wonder about PVC piping as an alternative? The only way to work out strength would be to trial a range of wall thicknesses. A rigid frame or tie straps to stop the tubes from f...
by uncle tom
17:04 Fri 09 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

I am just wondering why you don’t weigh them as soon as you have them physically to give you a base measurement. Starting at 18 years seems like it may miss being able to spot a trend of loss at an earlier point. Or is that being completely silly? From a practical stance, although I am now up to 37...
by uncle tom
11:58 Fri 09 Sep 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

I've always been a bit of a 'systems guy' - working out solutions and then refining them. My working assumption with weighing young bottles was that an interval of at least six years, and preferably a little more, would usually flag up those bottles with corks that were likely to be early candidates...
by uncle tom
15:44 Sun 04 Sep 2022
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Thu 15 December 2022 - The Port Forum's 15th Xmas Tasting
Replies: 82
Views: 21389

Re: Thu 15 December 2022 - The Port Forum's 15th Xmas Tasting

By pure coincidence, the date coincides with what would have been my late father's 100th birthday. With that in mind, I shall be providing a 1922. My father's preferred tipples were beer, and in restaurants 'a good fruity Hock' My knowledge of German wines is very limited - if anyone has a suitable ...
by uncle tom
15:23 Fri 26 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

I have only ever had a single bottle sealed with a t-stopper that was a leaker. In your neck of the woods, I suspect there's very little secondary market trade in T-stoppered bottles. In the UK, small stashes of assorted, and sometimes interesting older bottles turn up quite often in house clearanc...
by uncle tom
21:48 Thu 25 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

So.. what is the general perception of the difference between a T-stopper and a driven cork? That one is for the short term and the other for keeps? Well, I don't have a huge number of T-stoppered bottles that have been weighed more than once so their ullage rate can be calculated; but a couple of r...
by uncle tom
07:32 Mon 15 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

What is a L.R.S.? A super-sized screwdriver, typically 18" long with a blade half an inch wide. There are a few currently on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-LNER-RAILWAY-Long-SCREWDRIVER-TOOL-/394192992684?hash=item5bc7bbb9ac%3Ag%3AltUAAOSw-api79kJ&nma=true&si=phB2b1xmUEmv3%252...
by uncle tom
16:53 Sun 14 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Cellar diary
Replies: 87
Views: 21102

Re: Cellar diary

Winter is not a great time to be fussing around in the cellar, but in the heat of summer it is delightfully cool. Recent tasks have included inspecting a clutch of centenarian bottles and some nearly that old, all previously weighed and inspected at least five years ago. Highest ullage rate was reco...
by uncle tom
07:36 Fri 12 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Vintage 2022
Replies: 40
Views: 7504

Re: Vintage 2022

Wasn't either 2001 or 2002 pretty bad? Not as bad as '93 for sure, but still pretty poor. I've little personal experience of 2002 so far, but the notes from others are good. Every 2001 I've tried has been very solid, and I know one significant producer who argues with passion that it should have be...
by uncle tom
18:00 Thu 11 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Vintage 2022
Replies: 40
Views: 7504

Re: Vintage 2022

"a difficult year where we made some very nice wines" - Difficult usually meaning poor yields or erratic ripening, rather than rubbish quality It's almost impossible to make bad Port these days, unless you really want to. There's been quite a seismic change on that front. We've not had a ...
by uncle tom
11:11 Thu 04 Aug 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Vintage 2022
Replies: 40
Views: 7504

Vintage 2022

I picked up a snippet in the Telegraph that reported that Pinhao in Portugal saw the mercury hit 47C on July 14th. Now, IIRC, there is more than one place called Pinhao in Portugal, but assuming it is 'our' Pinhao, could this be a harbinger of a potentially good vintage? - Or is the heat a bit too e...
by uncle tom
18:47 Sun 31 Jul 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Decanting method experimentation
Replies: 17
Views: 7543

Re: Decanting method experimentation

Totally agree about the use of gauze - but I would be wary of items marketed as 'sterile' There are three basic levels of cleanliness recognised by brewers, which are pertinent here: Level one is clean - which means no dirt - this is the standard required in brewing for equipment where the contents ...
by uncle tom
17:35 Thu 28 Jul 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Filtration
Replies: 27
Views: 8819

Re: Filtration

My method, which works very well and very quickly is to use a funnel - and whilst I use an antique one at home, cheap 3" diameter plastic ones will also work just fine, and these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154692044778?hash=item24045d47ea:g:JcAAAOSwtYdhilkH 8 ply BP type 13 gauze swabs (non-me...
by uncle tom
19:17 Sun 19 Jun 2022
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: São João 2022
Replies: 2
Views: 1014

São João 2022

I'm making a short trip down to Porto this week - 22nd to 25th

- Anyone else on parade?
by uncle tom
21:40 Sat 11 Jun 2022
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Emergency - June 12th
Replies: 6
Views: 1613

Re: Emergency - June 12th

Her Majesty’s father died during the night, at an unknown time. So the exact time of her accession is unknown.
Indeed, but the time of discovery represents the least possible length of reign, so is the valid metric for determination.
by uncle tom
19:31 Sat 11 Jun 2022
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Emergency - June 12th
Replies: 6
Views: 1613

Re: Emergency - June 12th

Due to poor numbers, and Network Rail putting my entire line on bus replacement tomorrow, the event is cancelled.

However, at 3.02 p.m. - the exact time Her Majesty's reign will break the record - please raise a glass to her!
by uncle tom
19:25 Mon 06 Jun 2022
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Emergency - June 12th
Replies: 6
Views: 1613

Emergency - June 12th

On June 12th - six days time - Her Majesty's reign will exceed that of the late king of Thailand, Rama IX, making her the longest reigning adult monarch of a sovereign state in reliably recorded history..

..cause for an emergency??
by uncle tom
18:22 Mon 06 Jun 2022
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Postponed / Cancelled [was E2 > L14]
Replies: 18
Views: 5522

Re: Sun 26 May 2024

The sun king was of course only 4 when he came to the throne, so did not actually rule for so many years as the early ones were subject to a regency. On June 12th - six days time - Her Majesty's reign will exceed that of the late king of Thailand, Rama IX, making her the longest reigning adult monar...