Seeking "The Authentic Vintage Port" experience...?

[WineLoverPT]

My local wine shop was trying to score me a few bottles of a specific 2011 - they gave me a price, but by the time I got to loose the arrow, the price had gone over 100 euros.
I pondered.
And then it struck me that, if I was prepared to pay 100 euros for a bottle of port I couldn't (well, shouldn't) drink for another 20+ years - why wasn't I prepared to spend the same on a good bottle of vintage port that I could drink now? After all, I've never actually tasted a good bottle of vintage port - not even a glass.
So I decided I would.
And then the fun starts...
What to buy?
How to decide what to buy?

Now, I realise tastes are different - I tend, it seems, to like things at the more "ruby" end - others may not.
So here I am consulting the experienced.

Since I can only buy what I can buy, I've used Garrafeira Nacional from which to make my list - I pass by fairly regularly, so if it's there, chances are I can actually buy it.
http://www.garrafeiranacional.com/vinho ... price&p=10

So - the challenge - an alien arrives from deep in outer space and says "Take me to your most representative vintage port" - where do you take him, given that he only has 100 euros in his pocket? He's only visiting for a week, so it's for drinking now.

Lest you not want to look at the web site, I picked these as being "a bit old" and in the right price range.

1977 Ferreira Vintage Porto 100,00 €
1975 Quarles Harris Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1978 Fonseca Vintage Porto 96,00 €
1977 Real Vinícola Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1985 Taylors Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1975 Ramos Pinto Vintage Porto 89,00 €
1980 Burmester Vintage Porto 89,50 €
1983 Niepoort Vintage Porto 90,00 €
1995 Taylors Quinta das Vargellas Vintage Porto 90,00 €
1994 Barros Vintage Porto 90,00 €
1997 Delaforce Vintage Quinta da Corte Porto 90,00 €
1983 Grahams Vintage Porto 94,00 €
1984 Fonseca Panascal Vintage Porto 94,00 €
1982 Niepoort Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1985 Grahams Vintage Porto 95,00 €
1987 Niepoort Vintage Porto 82,00 €
1980 Grahams Vintage Porto 85,00 €
1979 Borges Vintage Porto 86,50 €
1989 Calem Vintage Quinta da Foz Porto 70,00 €
1997 Krohn Quinta do Retiro Novo Vintage Porto 69,75 €

[jdaw1]

Of those I would choose:
• 1985 Taylors Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1985 Grahams Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1980 Grahams Vintage Porto 85,00 €.

If only one, the CR67.

[LGTrotter]

Graham 1985. Decision made in a heartbeat.

[Glenn E.]

Graham 1985. Decision made in a heartbeat.

+1

G83 is also worthy from that list. Notably absent, though it should be available within the price constraints, is 1985 Fonseca.

[LGTrotter]

Graham 1985. Decision made in a heartbeat.

+1

G83 is also worthy from that list.

You couldn't let it lie could you Glenn. You could have just left it at the agreement about the Graham 85, but no.

Go on then, explain to this alien who has come for a day why he would want the 83 over the 85.

[djewesbury]

Oh behave. I had the G83 tonight and it was lovely.

[Glenn E.]

Graham 1985. Decision made in a heartbeat.

+1

G83 is also worthy from that list.

You couldn't let it lie could you Glenn. You could have just left it at the agreement about the Graham 85, but no.

Go on then, explain to this alien who has come for a day why he would want the 83 over the 85.

Oh sure, pick on my recommendation of G83 but say nothing at all about jdaw1's recommendation of T85? I'd much rather have G83 over T85, wouldn't you?

Come now, let's have some consistency shall we? Otherwise the aliens will think less of us.

[WineLoverPT]

The alien is all ears ...

[LGTrotter]

Oh sure, pick on my recommendation of G83 but say nothing at all about jdaw1's recommendation of T85? I'd much rather have G83 over T85, wouldn't you?

Come now, let's have some consistency shall we? Otherwise the aliens will think less of us.

Well that's true, but I set higher standards for you Glenn.

I wondered if you were going to suggest the 87 which I know is a vintage you have espoused in the past. I found myself drawn to suggesting the 67 Croft, but feared the collective sighs and tuts about this vintage. And then I noticed the 85 Graham; game over!

[Glenn E.]

Oh sure, pick on my recommendation of G83 but say nothing at all about jdaw1's recommendation of T85? I'd much rather have G83 over T85, wouldn't you?

Come now, let's have some consistency shall we? Otherwise the aliens will think less of us.

Well that's true, but I set higher standards for you Glenn.

I wondered if you were going to suggest the 87 which I know is a vintage you have espoused in the past. I found myself drawn to suggesting the 67 Croft, but feared the collective sighs and tuts about this vintage. And then I noticed the 85 Graham; game over!

87 Vargellas, yes. 87 Niepoort, no. Even Dirk admits that the 80s were not their finest years. I'd happily drink an '87 Niepoort, but wouldn't choose it from that list. (Though to be fair, I would probably have the 87 and 83 Niepoorts leading my second 5 with perhaps some argument for the 77 Ferreira)

I, too, was drawn by the 67 Roeda but I've never had it. That, however, was part of its appeal. Still... G85 in the end.

[mosesbotbol]

Of those I would choose:
• 1985 Taylors Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1985 Grahams Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1980 Grahams Vintage Porto 85,00 €.

If only one, the CR67.

My exact list as well.

[LGTrotter]

Agreement amongst the forumites? We are not giving these aliens a true picture of .

[Glenn E.]

Agreement amongst the forumites? We are not giving these aliens a true picture of .

Clearly the aliens have already taken over Moses and JDAW, as neither of them mentioned the G83.

What next? DRT recommending the RV77?

[LGTrotter]

Agreement amongst the forumites? We are not giving these aliens a true picture of .

Clearly the aliens have already taken over Moses and JDAW, as neither of them mentioned the G83.

What next? DRT recommending the RV77?

And nobody has mentioned the Ramos Pinto 75. I wonder why?

[WineLoverPT]

The alien is sitting in the corner, a glass of (still) water in front of him, an unlit cigar in the ashtray beside him, looking somewhat bemused.
You might think he too is wondering why the Ramos Pinto has had no air time.
But you would be wrong.

[DRT]

The best port on that list is, without any doubt whatsoever, the Taylor 1985.

Buy all you can and buy it now.

The Graham 1985 is also lovely.

[Glenn E.]

The best port on that list is, without any doubt whatsoever, the Taylor 1985.

Buy all you can and buy it now.

Your plan is both subtle and cunning. I approve.

[jdaw1]

tastes are different - I tend, it seems, to like things at the more "ruby" end - others may not.

Does ‘ruby’ mean ‘non tawny’, which was my original interpretation, or does it mean ‘not too mature’. If it means the former, then CR67 is a good choice. But if you prefer slightly younger to slightly older, than Taylor 1985 (and Graham 1985 and Graham 1980) should be preferred.

"Take me to your most representative vintage port"

Well, “representative” of what? Of what I own? (A good 1985.) Of what I want to drink this year? (The nearest might be the ’67.) Of what I typically drink? (Something good but not excellent on sale in a supermarket.)

[LGTrotter]

The best port on that list is, without any doubt whatsoever, the Taylor 1985.

Buy all you can and buy it now.

Your plan is both subtle and cunning. I approve.

Subtle and cunning in the sense of misguided and otiose I presume?

"Take me to your most representative vintage port"

Well, “representative” of what? Of what I own? (A good 1985.) Of what I want to drink this year? (The nearest might be the ’67.) Of what I typically drink? (Something good but not excellent on sale in a supermarket.)

I read this as what bottle would you most like to drink now, unperturbed by what could be thought of as representative. But then, like all good politicians I answer the question I wanted to answer, rather than the one I was asked.

[DRT]

There was no attempt at cunning. I was simply answering the question with the correct answer.

[LGTrotter]

Well I, for one, would beg to differ. Both with the answer and with the confabulation of opinion with fact.

Besides, everybody knows that the Taylor 85 is a weedy fellow with soft wet handshake and a persistent cough, next to which the Graham of the same year has rosy cheeks and winning ways.

[CaliforniaBrad]

Of those I would choose:
• 1985 Taylors Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1967 Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1985 Grahams Vintage Porto 95,00 €;
• 1980 Grahams Vintage Porto 85,00 €.

If only one, the CR67.

Swap the Taylor's for the G83, and I'll agree. I've had T85 a few times and wouldn't recommend it above $50 to anyone. Perfectly fine stuff, in no way special or what would inspire me to be passionate about port.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Glenn E.]

Swap the Taylor's for the G83, and I'll agree. I've had T85 a few times and wouldn't recommend it above $50 to anyone. Perfectly fine stuff, in no way special or what would inspire me to be passionate about port.

See, Brad understands.

G85 is inspiring at $90. T85 is suitable at $50.

G85 I open for my Port buddies. T85 I open for people who know nothing about Port but have heard that I like it and are curious.

...

Having now written that I have had an epiphany. Give the alien T85. It will not be able to comprehend the greatness of G85, so the G85 would be wasted.

[WineLoverPT]

Having now written that I have had an epiphany. Give the alien T85. It will not be able to comprehend the greatness of G85, so the G85 would be wasted.

The alien raises his 5 sets of eyebrows at this remark, recalling the day a small space probe landed down the street from him, and his impressions when, on the golden record it contained, he first heard Glen Gould play Bach - would these "Port" people really have sent Lang Lang instead?

[djewesbury]

Beautifully put. The alien would love the paradoxical qualities of the T85 though; with access to a well-stored case, his six different mouths could all taste something completely different from one another, and yet they would all be T85.