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To celebrate the Quinquagenary of AHB, he arranged a horizontal of 1963s in Wokingham at The Cantley House Hotel (evenings of Friday 11^th and Saturday 12^th October 2013) and The Walter Arms (lunch on Saturday 12^th), and two evening Champagne tastings for our better halves. Sadly the venue was not able to accommodate all he would have liked to have invited. Diaries had been blocked since early 2012, and bottles had been gathered for most of a decade before that. A splendid weekend indeed.

Partial links:
• Review of the event as a whole, which starts with a full set of links;
• Placemats (and parameters by which constructed).

Some links:
• Review which includes links to the Champagnes; Placemats and their Parameters;
• Fri evening 1963s: VS QH GC Ck G | Kh Pç Mg Av F | RV Rs S Dl Cn;
• Sat aftern’n 1963s: Sb RVi RCV Ad RO | Dm BBR T Cr Ni | Mk Fd O Mz;
• Sat evening 1963s: MC W D N NN | A B&I Df PS Cv | GB Cá CáF B Fr;
• Others: 1863 Burmester, 1977 Warre (tappitt hen), Martinez Crusted bottled 1973, 1966 Château Batailley (magnum).

South African Cavendish 1963. Very dark, and, in this company, nose and palate just weird. RAH identified Muscatel, with which I concurred.

Dark with a vivid yellow meniscus - not at all bad to drink.

My very detailed tasting note says: "S.A. Colheita", which I think is a good summary of the experience.

dark brown color with greenish rim; Colheita smell; Tawny flavours; good length; really good licorice taste; port was 10 year in barrel before botteling which explaines its taste and appearance. Good port though!

Deep brown in colour with a green rim. Concentrated iodine on the nose, showing strongly as a colheita style wine with Madeira-like VA dominating. Intensely acidic on the palate, lots of intense apricot and dates. Deeply flavoured and intense, with an intense iodine and date finish. Really fine, flavoursome fortified wine. 90/100. Drunk 12-Oct-13. Decanted 10 hours.