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At the generous instigation of Alex B.: “Please, no-one bring anything except where I have asked for help. This is supposed to be a cellar reduction party so I am happy to supply various bottles for us to share. A handful of people know some of what will be brought, but I'll serve all bottles blind.”

So we went to a Helen-less Bung Hole to meet Amy — who had just left for the day. (No problem: we met her two days later.)

Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• 1985 Graham (1);
• 1963 Offley magnum (2);
• 1985 Fonseca (3);
• 1985 Taylor (4);
• 1972 Offley (5);
• 1970 Graham magnum (6);
• 1985 Churchill (7);
• 1995 Quinta do Noval (11);
• Cockburn Fine Old Ruby believed to have been bottled in the 1940s (12);
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

Alex used a mysterious scoring system.

jdaw1 wrote: 1985 Graham(1);
1985 Fonseca (3);
1985 Taylor(4);

Here we go! The scores will be eagerly awaited in Somerset. I am preparing an acceptance speech.

Most generously, Alex decided to catch up with his scheduled drinking for the year by having us drink it. Doff hat.

And we had a bucket of good Port: my WTN vote was uselessly indecisive: F85 won 2 points, four Ports won one each — O63, T85, O72, G70. One joy was that both F85 and T85 showed very well, especially the former. (See discussion entitled The Taylor 1985 Debate.) Another joy was that OBV 1972 — yes, seventy-two — was lovely mature Port.

And we had a bucket of good Port that we couldn’t reliably recognise. Ignore the scoring system which awarded a point for guessing VP, and know the truth. We were rubbish.

Finally, Wolfgang asked, again, for a template for a Will. Sent!

An excellent evening, good catching up with people and a special big thank you to Alex for providing some excellent port. The F85 was the best bottle I have tasted of this wine and very good, but still piped by the G870 for me.

jdaw1 wrote:F85 won 2 points, four Ports won one each — O63, T85, O72, G70.

Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Danger Will Robinson! Danger! Danger!

Agreed. The O72 had a wonderful texture. It tasted like a softly faded over-mature VP.