I want a New and Interesting House Port...

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 10:54 Sat 16 Feb 2008

But I want to feel like I've got a good deal, or offer.

My Warres unfiltered has mostly gone, as has my many bottles of Otima. Keep your eyes peeled for the next half price hero!!!

Or I suppose I should be very nice to Uncle Tom, and ask to stock up with more Morgans.

uncle tom · Post by **uncle tom** » 14:28 Sat 16 Feb 2008

Or I suppose I should be very nice to Uncle Tom, and ask to stock up with more Morgans.

Plenty available!

Tom

Post by **DRT** » 16:39 Sat 16 Feb 2008

Alan,

I will be collecting some goodies from Tom soon. Let me know if you want me to pick-up any Morgan 91 while I am there. I'll leave you to complete your transaction with Tom - just let me know what to collect.

We can work out how I get the bottles to you later. At the very least it will put us in a position where it is a requirement to meet somewhere and drink port so that we can complete the hand-over

Derek

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 18:17 Sat 16 Feb 2008

Tom & Derek,

Thanks for your Offers of help. I'd definitely take a dozen. Maybe two. Let me know when your going Derek, and if its after one of my pay days, I'll try and stretch to two!

Dont let the search for other options go, though.

Alan

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 20:50 Sun 17 Feb 2008

Alan,

I'll keep my eyes open for a good house port, but you can't get a lot better than the '91 Morgan for under £10 a bottle.

Alex

Post by **DRT** » 00:46 Sat 23 Feb 2008

Alan,

Otima 10 yr old is on sale again in Asda for around £8 for the 50cl bottle.

Derek

Post by **DRT** » 21:16 Sun 02 Mar 2008

Graham's Malvedos 1996

RonnieRoots · Post by **RonnieRoots** » 22:24 Sun 02 Mar 2008

If you have a good stack of Airmiles, if you live in the Netherlands, and if you have an Albert Heijn XL in your area: Warre's Cavadinha 1995 for Ã¢”šÂ¬ 10.
Otherwise: go for the Malvedos.

SushiNorth · Post by **SushiNorth** » 05:01 Mon 03 Mar 2008

Pardon the naivete, but what is a "House Port" ?

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 08:14 Mon 03 Mar 2008

A house port is the port that you have plenty of at home and which you can open without worrying about needing a special occasion. It's essentially a great value port for everyday drinking.

Malvedos '96 for £11 a bottle would certainly fall into this category.

Alex

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 08:16 Mon 03 Mar 2008

If we can find any....

SushiNorth · Post by **SushiNorth** » 14:20 Mon 03 Mar 2008

Well then, what about 88 Taylor qdVargellas? Because I just won 6 half-bottles in a WC auction, and now they're offering me another 17 at $21 each.

(personally i think its a bit overpriced at 21 -- i was willing to pay that for a few bottles but if i'm buying that much of the stuff, there ought to be a discount!)

Advice needed on this please, as i need to make a decision in the next few hours. THANKS!!!

Post by **DRT** » 15:26 Mon 03 Mar 2008

Here is a TN on the TQdV88 from AHB. Not an inspiring read!

That said, at $21 (£11.50) I'm not sure you can go far wrong with a top brand SQVP. I would be tempted to buy more, but probably not all of them.

Derek

SushiNorth · Post by **SushiNorth** » 15:50 Mon 03 Mar 2008

Thanks! Not sure how i overlooked that. I'll probably only get a few more; I actually meant these as bottles to use when a bottle couldn't be finished... and for a bit of decanting practice hehehe!

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 17:59 Mon 03 Mar 2008

$21 for a half bottle is about market price in the UK. This isn't great bargain. I would probably ask for a 25% discount if you take all 23 - after all, you are buying virtually the entire case of half bottles.

At $15 a half, you have a good and attractive price.

If they refuse, you still have the money to pick up another bargain later in the month.

Alex

g-man · Post by **g-man** » 18:17 Mon 03 Mar 2008

hey sushi, let me know if you get them at a discount, i'm interested in picking up some with you if you get it at a cheaper price.

SushiNorth · Post by **SushiNorth** » 19:43 Mon 03 Mar 2008

Sorry, they didn't. I wound up getting 9 (together with 3 Warres97) to fill up their twelve-pack shipper. The Warres were only half retail price via the auction (not counting shipping).

Btw, do check out the Sherry & Lehmann folks. I've no allegiance to them, as i haven't even shopped there yet, but the prices aren't awful. They tend to be a little below America's Wineshop regular (but not sale) prices, however S&L's inventory is much broader. Up for a shopping trip?

The two places near me, btw, are Dodd's Liquors and Suburban Wines, the latter gives me a thanks-for-all-the-dough discount.

g-man · Post by **g-man** » 19:53 Mon 03 Mar 2008

SushiNorth wrote:Sorry, they didn't. I wound up getting 9 (together with 3 Warres97) to fill up their twelve-pack shipper. The Warres were only half retail price via the auction (not counting shipping).

Btw, do check out the Sherry & Lehmann folks. I've no allegiance to them, as i haven't even shopped there yet, but the prices aren't awful. They tend to be a little below America's Wineshop regular (but not sale) prices, however S&L's inventory is much broader. Up for a shopping trip?

The two places near me, btw, are Dodd's Liquors and Suburban Wines, the latter gives me a thanks-for-all-the-dough discount.

Sherry lehman's got a new store, used to go all the time, i stopped buying ports there because they stand them upright and during the summer time the sales room was at least 80 degrees F. Though with their new store I'm not sure what they do now but I would imagine their older inventory that wasn't in their basement or their warehouse should be avoided.

btw the 2003 fonseca is BRILLIANT! =)

SushiNorth · Post by **SushiNorth** » 20:09 Mon 03 Mar 2008

g-man wrote: Sherry lehman's got a new store, used to go all the time, i stopped buying ports there because they stand them upright and during the summer time the sales room was at least 80 degrees F. Though with their new store I'm not sure what they do now but I would imagine their older inventory that wasn't in their basement or their warehouse should be avoided.
btw the 2003 fonseca is BRILLIANT! =)

That's just what i worry about with some of these places. Dodd's (mentioned above) in particular. The fancier the wine, the higher up they store it on the shelf. I've bought a lot from them, and tho there've been no problems so far, I'm nervous. Almost everywhere i go the ports are upright, so i just have to trust that if it's in the neck and doesn't seap right away, there's no cause to return it heheh.

Thanks for the heads-up on S&L's temperatures.

As for fonseca03, i've only one bottle of it (and 3 of croft). The next time i get an early "heads up" on a wine I'm buying by the case! (i came close for 00, 1/2 case of graham's).

Roy Hersh · Post by **Roy Hersh** » 04:05 Tue 04 Mar 2008

Alan C.,

I just had the 10 and 20 year old Warre's Otima. Above I see you had the 10 year old Otima as your house wine for awhile. What was your opinon of it?

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 10:05 Tue 04 Mar 2008

I just received a couple of cases of the 10y old from Fonseca which I very much liked concerning Price/ Value.

How about it?

Axel

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 12:41 Tue 04 Mar 2008

Roy,

Yes, I bought 2 dozen when it was on a good offer last summer, and it became my favourite 'standard' tipple. I've realised that one area that impresses me about Port is 'mouthfeel', and the Otima excels. It is smooth and creamy, and has that nutty tawny taste on top. I wouldn't say it was complicated in the way old and special Tawnys can achieve, but it is a marvelous entry level Port. Do you agree?

Axel,

Are you on about a 10yr old Fonseca Tawny? If so, I dont think I've tasted that one yet? What price did you find that one for, and like Roy about the Otima, what was its strengths?

Alan

Roy Hersh · Post by **Roy Hersh** » 20:04 Tue 04 Mar 2008

Alan,

I have had the 10 and 20 year old Otima side-by-side on a handful of occasions since the very first day that the 20 year old came to the marketplace, a very memorable day as it was the last time I ever drank Port with my father.

What I find so puzzling is the enormous discrepancy that I find between the pleasure I get from the 20 year old and the lack of it from the 10 year old. To me, they epitomize "night and day" Port drinking experiences. Yet I would have to think that part of the 10 year old blend is used to make the 20 ... but that is just conjecture.

I certainly understand and do agree with you that the textural pleasure derived from the Otima 10, is quite nice indeed.

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 20:42 Tue 04 Mar 2008

I cant disagree. Quite a few have said the 20yr old is definitely more than twice the Port the 10yr old is. I've only had it once, on such recommendations, and enjoyed it.
My problem is price. For a house Port, £20 a bottle for the 20yr old is a bit steep, and it never seems to be on offer. The 10yr old retails at around £11, and can be bought for between £5-7 if your patient.

Alan

Post by **DRT** » 20:51 Tue 04 Mar 2008

Alan,

I was in Tesco yesterday and noticed that they have an own brand Finest Reserve (i.e. a Premium Ruby) for just under £6 per bottle. It is produced by the Symington's so at that price it is probably worth you giving it a go.

Dow's Trademark is on offer in both Tesco and Sainsbury at half price - £5.49

Derek

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 21:35 Tue 04 Mar 2008

Alan,

the 10y old Fonseca I got for 10 EUR (without VAT) from the german Importer.

Its strength were the combination between a good fairly young tawny and the fruity freshness of an elder LBV. It pretty much had good things from both worlds, thats why I was very positively surprised by it.

I tried to drink it at normal LBV temperature, but that didn't work out well. Slightly chilled (15 deg.) were right on the spot.

Axel

g-man · Post by **g-man** » 22:29 Tue 04 Mar 2008

wow great price on the Fonseca Axel,

it's at least 26$ here.

I find the Fonseca tawny's to be light and tad too sweet but I've only had it once.

I do enjoy teh warre's optima tho, can find it for liek 16$ here.

10Anos · Post by **10Anos** » 21:26 Sun 09 Mar 2008

Conky wrote:I cant disagree. Quite a few have said the 20yr old is definitely more than twice the Port the 10yr old is. I've only had it once, on such recommendations, and enjoyed it.
My problem is price. For a house Port, £20 a bottle for the 20yr old is a bit steep, and it never seems to be on offer. The 10yr old retails at around £11, and can be bought for between £5-7 if your patient.

Alan

I count myself lucky living in NL. Our most well known supermarket (Albert Heijn) has these Otimas for Ã¢”šÂ¬ 12 (10yo) and Ã¢”šÂ¬ 17 (20yo)...

I was wondering why the picture on the cardboard box shows a bottle covered in moisture. Probably a hint to serve this port (slightly) chilled... which some of you seem to agree with.

10Anos · Post by **10Anos** » 20:41 Thu 20 Mar 2008

Conky wrote:I cant disagree. Quite a few have said the 20yr old is definitely more than twice the Port the 10yr old is. I've only had it once, on such recommendations, and enjoyed it.
My problem is price. For a house Port, £20 a bottle for the 20yr old is a bit steep, and it never seems to be on offer. The 10yr old retails at around £11, and can be bought for between £5-7 if your patient.

Alan

Right now I'm doing a side by side comparison of the Otima 10 and Otima 20. A few differences strike me instantly: the 10yo definately has the youngest taste, the 20yo is smoother and has a much thicker feeling in the mouth. The colour of the 10yo is tawny with some reddish hue, the 20yo is just tawny.
I can't say that I like the 20yo twice as much as the 10yo, but it is my favourite. In fact, my favourite port is no longer the Messias 10 Anos, but the Warre's Otima 20 (I won't change my username, though). I understand now why the Otima 10 and Otima 20 are favourites...