Port Decanting Time opinion wanted

SEAN C. · Post by **SEAN C.** » 22:59 Wed 02 Jan 2008

What would you recommend for decanting times on each of the following bottles? All are CROFT

1. 1896
2. 1912
3. 1917
4. 1920
5. 1924
6. 1927
7. 1933
8. 1935
9. 1945
10. 1950
11. 1955
12. 1960
13. 1963
14. 1966
15.1970 (magnum)

Post by **DRT** » 23:16 Wed 02 Jan 2008

Sean,

I don't think I would risk a long decanting time for any of these other than the 1960. Many of these bottles are likely to be rather fragile wines and I would recommend that you open them all simultaneously, tasted each of them and then watch them evolve over a period of a few hours. If any start to fall off a cliff you can blitz the bottle whilst the others open up and improve.

A great line-up. What is the occassion?

Derek

SEAN C. · Post by **SEAN C.** » 23:38 Wed 02 Jan 2008

Thanks Derek.. My personal opinion is similar to yours but I figured I would get as much input as possible.
These are part of a Croft vertical we are having in February.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 10:46 Thu 03 Jan 2008

Sean,

I don't have much experience with ports from some of these years, but the limited experience that I do have leads me to believe that they are not necessarily as fragile as you might imagine - but some of them could be!

I think it also depends on your personal taste, whether you like your ports to be soft and tertiary in style or up front and fruity with some tannins left in them. I tend to go for the former style and so prefer to decant my ports for longer.

In the past, I have enjoyed ports decanted as follows:
1912 - 6-8 hours
1920 - 5-8 hours
1927 - 4-5 hours
1945 - 1-48 hours (Derek had the '45 Croft after 48 hours!)
1950 - probably best after about 4-5 hours
1955 - 3-12 hours
1960 - 6 hours
1963 - I'd recommend 3-6 hours
1966 - 5-12 hours
1970 - 2-8+ hours

But I would emphasise that the only Croft wines that the above suggestions are based on are the 1963, 1960 and the 1945.

Alex

RonnieRoots · Post by **RonnieRoots** » 12:29 Thu 03 Jan 2008

Although I don't have much experience with ports this old, and Uncle Tom and Alex B. can give you much more advice than me, I would probably go for Derek's method. I tend to like ports better when they still show their fruit, and am less charmed by the caramelly flavours that appear after prolonged aeriaton. I've noticed this e.g. with a Niepoort 1963 that we watched evolve over the evening. We liked it best after 3 hours in the decanter.

Post by **DRT** » 12:36 Thu 03 Jan 2008

Just to clarify, my suggested method is intended to reduce the risk of missing the optimum drinking window for any of these old wines. I think opening this many old bottles too far in advance of when you plan to start drinking would be too risky in that you could easily find that a few of them will have deteriorated before you get to them. If these are to be drunk alongside a long list of younger wines then I would suggest opening the older wines at the start of the tasting. Having a sip and then moving to the younger stuff whilst the oldies open up. Someone should keep checking them to see if they are showing signs of improvement or deterioration and then feed them into the line-up at an appropriate time.

I fully accept Alex's point that many old wines benefit from long decanting times but it is also true that some do not and my suggestion is that you give yourself the best of both options rather than just taking the risk that you might lose some along the way by leaving them open too long.

Derek

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 14:05 Thu 03 Jan 2008

I can't argue with Derek - the best decanting option is to open, serve immediately into a glass and then allow the drinkers to spend the next 12 hours sipping and enjoying each of the ports!!

And then report back for the next time we have this discussion

You could produce the definitive guide to Croft decanting times!

Alex