ThePortForum.com

Despite all the difficulties we had a production increase of 10%. So they made more wine - but it doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of the quality. I'm not sure that I have a complete list of the years that Q. Portal have declared a vintage - they declared six vintages in the ten years betwe...

As I clicked the reply button, both lightbulbs in my office failed simultaneously - just after I've just been down the pub decrying the existence of ghosts... Hmm..! Oh well, back on topic - with only this screen to illuminate the room.. Bottles like this always miss the essential detail of when the...

After clearing both the xmas offline leftovers and a severe cold, I have time for just one TN before escaping to warmer climes. Decanted yesterday, came very cleanly off it's sediment, but a musty bottle stink gave some cause for concern initially. Was fully composed last night after nine hours in d...

Berry's Jan sale list has just gone in the bin - the case prices look reasonable until you realise they're cases of 6..! Q de la Rosa finest reserve - half bottles £63/12 = £5.25ea. - although this is the king of Reserves, unfiltered and with driven corks, it is still a reserve, so way over priced. ...

I only received one bottle this year - a curiosity called Becherovka from the Czech Republic.

Allegedly, this 38% clear spirit is more akin to Gin or Geneva than it is to Vodka, and a quick sniff reveals a strong nose of Cinnamon.

One to drink with tonic perhaps??

Tom

Nescafe..

Tom

Drinking through the decanter that was untouched at the Xmas offline, I have to say that I was less impressed - youthful, certainly, but also rather coarse - I felt it was above it's station as a Vintage port, but a good Reserve. The '87 is a much more serious beast, but not in the same league as th...

OK - the 'other' option doesn't want to come out to play - I'm not sure why...?

Tom

I've noticed that of the big names in vintage port, some get undue patronage, while others get ignored... There are several shippers who clearly deserve more attention, and others, who have previously fallen from grace, who have worked to restore their reputation, and deserve to be judged objectivle...

It's what you have in the morning before you've drunk enough coffee!

Rats! - thought no-one would remember...

Tom

I've still got a drop left - when I've polished off the last dregs of all the others, it'll be the last to go... BTW - Despite having been decanted for 8 days now, I've not clocked any significant deterioration amongst the leftovers - but I am finishing them one at a time to minimise aeration, and a...

It's Dow's reserve wine - Midnight is their ruby brand - so £5.50 is not that bad - but not dazzling either...

However, it is very important that people drink these wines -


- so I can drink the good stuff..

Tom

Does anyone else find that the higher the quality of port you drink the less likely you are to have a hangover the next day?

Hangover? - what's that?

Tom

Have a filthy cold, so senses compromised - am drinking up the FG88.

It seems too young and rather bland - but I'm not in a position to give it a fair hearing!

Tom

Olive oil has molecules that are partially soluble - when a tiny amount is placed on the surface of water it will spread to form a film that is as little as one molecule thick, sealing the surface from air contact. If the Romans - or anyone else - uses a earthenware pitcher to store wine that has be...

I have recently obtained a rather odd Crusted from Noval It is firmly dated 1962, but in the smaller print says bottled 1965 This is rather at odds with the convention of blending several years together.. ..anyway, remind me to bring it to an offline so Derek and Alex can prove to me that they last ...

Do we mean a pipe as a measure of volume Although the IVDP always talks in hectolitres, all old records of production talk in pipes, and the productivity of quintas (and capacity of lagares) is still counted in this measure. Although not all the pipes used in Portugal are the same size, the standar...

Berry's have just emailed me to say they are extending their deadline for Xmas deliveries, and Farr have just emailed their January sale list..

..doesn't give the impression that they're overwhelmed with orders..!

Tom

What would i expect to pay for ,say , a Dow 1970 at auction For a case of Dow '70 with good levels sold at Christies without VAT on the hammer price, my bid calculator is indicating a bid of £440 or £460, depending on how keen you are to win the lot. On top of the hammer price you have to pay a buy...

With the last of this year's wine sales over, a quick round-up Overview The year got off to a fairly firm start with few bargains in the winter and spring. The early summer price boom seen in previous years did not really materialise, but vendors got some good prices in September. Then the market wi...

Balvenie 21 yr aged in Port wood. (Does that count?)

Nope - no excuses!

If your family doesn't drink then that's all the more for you!

Tom

A traditional barrel of port - always termed a 'pipe' - normally holds 550 litres. Allowing for a little wastage, it should be possible to fill 60 dozen bottles from one pipe - quite a respectable contribution to a gentleman's lifetime requirements, if a little monotonous..! However, unless one has ...

Did Fonseca declare in 64?

Not the main brew, but a Fonseca Guimaraens was made - very hard to find though..

Tom

For me, Xmas dinner will be on Xmas Eve this year..

A Warre '47 is due to be executed earlier that day, the evening may also see the demise of a Ch. Latour '55 (amongst others..)

Tom

I'm working my way through the Xmas offline's leftovers, and I've yet to clock any obvious deterioration. To minimise aeration I'm resisting the temptation to have 'a bit of this and a bit of that' but I have done another comparison of the two Roriz LBV's today, finding it a close call, but with a m...