ACPT Tasting, NYC, March 2012

[Glenn E.]

As many of you know, every year my wife attends the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament which is held at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott in NYC. I tag along for a couple of days of fun in NYC, which presents one of those rare opportunities for me to join the NYC tasters for a tasting.

Next year the tournament is Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 18. If we do our usual trip we'll arrive in town Wednesday evening and spend a couple of days having fun in NYC, but since I'm starting a new job we may not be able to get away for the extra 2 days. So I may not be arriving until Friday evening.

Thus the best nights for the tasting would be Friday the 16th or Saturday the 17th. Note that Saturday the 17th is St. Patrick's Day.

The last two ACPT tastings have been partial verticals - Sandeman in 2010 and Dow in 2011. I'm not particularly fond of either producer because I find them both rather dry, so this year I'd like to try for a producer on the sweeter side of things. Graham or Fonseca would be my picks. (I also really like Vesuvio, but they're still too young to really do them justice.)

We could also do a horizontal... I'm not married to the idea of a vertical. I just wanted to get some discussion going so people could start planning and acquiring appropriate bottles!

Assuming Jeff and/or Josh can attend, I'll leave venue selection in their expert hands.

Who's up for some Port in March?

[g-man]

Depending on the child rearing situation,

do you want to do the evil blind tasting ?

where we serve a highly rated classic year of a major house vs a year that's been knocked on by certain port lovers blind and in dark tasting glasses?

[Glenn E.]

where we serve a highly rated classic year of a major house vs a year that's been knocked on by certain port lovers blind and in dark tasting glasses?

Dark tasting glasses remove the visual element which I enjoy, so I'd rather not do that. I'm fine either way with a "normal" blind tasting, though.

It will be the 35-year anniversary of the 1977s... blind horizontal of those?

[jefe7000]

Ruth and I will be there for the tasting (and for the ACPT finals with Glenn). It will be great to see everyone again.
Sandy Becker, Seattle

[g-man]

Heyhey!

would be great to see you again

I might have to defer the tasting organization as i may potentially have my hands full with a little one.

[J a y H a c k]

Sounds like fun. Maybe I can avoid another gall bladder removal this March. I have only one, right?

I have no opinion on horizontal, vertical, diagonal or round the maypole. I'm trying to think of a good spot. I have had some good luck with Rothmann's steakhouse in midtown for a few of the Leo's Blind Tasting Club dinners. They have a nice table all the way in the back that seats up to 12 that works well. Look here for info:

http://www.rothmanns54.com/home.html

I do not know what kind of deal I will be able to make with them for a weekend. All the dinner's we've had there were Monday, which is their slow day, and they were glad to play ball with us. If people want NYC Steakhouse food at those prices, I can see what I can do. Glassware may be an issue because I doubt they have anywhere near enough Port glasses.

Did someone say Fonseca? I've got a couple of 1994s that I have managed to keep my hands off since I got them when released, so perhaps it's time to open one and see how it is doing.

[g-man]

i have over 200 tasting glasses so if it's on a weekend it wouldn't be a problem

rothmann's also allwos for easy parking

here are the past few steakhouses places that've been pretyt good for us as we've always gotten a private room.

uncle jacks- 125$ /prefixe all in (tax/tip/corkage included)
harry's - 125$ / also prefixe all in (corkage included) tax tip extra
North square- 100$ / prefixe all in (tax/tip corkage included)

[Glenn E.]

Did someone say Fonseca? I've got a couple of 1994s that I have managed to keep my hands off since I got them when released, so perhaps it's time to open one and see how it is doing.

I think a Fonseca vertical would be great! To keep cost down (hah!) we could stick to the major declared vintages. 1963, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1985, and 1994 would be a pretty stellar lineup. Of course, that's only 6 bottles so we might run out of Port.

[g-man]

Mm

the 63 is avging 350$/btl
66 is 280$/btl
70 is 150$/btl
77 is 180$/btl
85 is 85$/btl
94 is 160$/btl

I wouldn't mind, but @ 200$/btl avg cost and assuming 6 people would people even attend such tasting if the total came out to ~ 350$/person.

[Glenn E.]

Yeah, you're probably right. A man can dream though, can't he?

[RAYC]

I wouldn't mind, but @ 200$/btl avg cost

depends...are you all necessarily paying retail price or can people supply from their cellar?

is good inspiration anyway as i don't think we currently have a theme for a January tasting in London...!

[g-man]

I wouldn't mind, but @ 200$/btl avg cost

depends...are you all necessarily paying retail price or can people supply from their cellar?

is good inspiration anyway as i don't think we currently have a theme for a January tasting in London...!

i can probably spot a few bottles but even at my auction price, it'd still come close to 280$/person

NY aint as cheap as the UK when it comes to port!

[RAYC]

Leave the 63 for another day...?

(and add in an 83 if you think you will be short of port). Does that get you close?

(70 and 77 on your list do not look out of line with UK retail prices)

[Glenn E.]

63 is 350$/btl
66 is 280$/btl
70 is 150$/btl
77 is 180$/btl
85 is 85$/btl
94 is 160$/btl

I can beat the '77 and '94 prices, but not by much. That's about what I paid for my '70s and '85s. I've paid less in the past (much less) for the '63 and the '66 but those prices have risen dramatically in the last 2 years. It'd be nice to find a stash at the old prices, but that's probably not going to happen.

[g-man]

We could do a warre tasting

I have an eclectic collection of warre lbvs (avged to ~60$/btl)

74, 82, 84, 86, 87?, 90?

[SushiNorth]

We could do a warre tasting
I have an eclectic collection of warre lbvs (avged to ~60$/btl)
74, 82, 84, 86, 87?, 90?

I have a less eclectic collection of warres VPs...
63 (likely oxidized), 70, 77, 83, 85, 94 @ ~$450. wouldn't be an expensive tasting, and it's pretty thorough. Maybe a combo?

[Glenn E.]

How about Graham? Anyone have a stash of those at reasonable prices?

I have '77, '85, '91, and '94 all at reasonable prices. Would love to try a '70 and a '66.

[SushiNorth]

How about Graham? Anyone have a stash of those at reasonable prices?
I have '77, '85, '91, and '94 all at reasonable prices. Would love to try a '70 and a '66.

I don't unfortunately. Just drank the last "old" one -- a g77 -- this past weekend. Performed better than I expected; in general I wish I had more Grahams. We drank a lot of it up at some tastings a couple years back.

[g-man]

Went to a very good italian restaurant tonight and they were receptive of us having a private room if we can get 10 people.

http://www.scalinifedeli.com/p...r_Scalini_Fedeli.pdf

[g-man]

i only have a grahams 70? and a grahams 77.

that's all I have from grahams

Warre, huh, what is it good for?

[Glenn E.]

I snagged one of the Graham verticals in the current FTLOP offering. Not cheap, but complete from 1963-2007 (14 bottles) and perfect provenance.

I'd be happy to use it for the tasting, but at 14 bottles we'd need a full group. And the price might make some people balk. But it's available if you think people would be interested!

[g-man]

I snagged one of the Graham verticals in the current FTLOP offering. Not cheap, but complete from 1963-2007 (14 bottles) and perfect provenance.

I'd be happy to use it for the tasting, but at 14 bottles we'd need a full group. And the price might make some people balk. But it's available if you think people would be interested!

and you'd have to transport 14 bottles which I don't imagine would be fun.

An old leaky bottle tasting would still provide some interesting options if the group is small.

[SushiNorth]

An old leaky bottle tasting would still provide some interesting options if the group is small.

Actually, it may produce some far more interesting bottles. Most of my leakers are 60s & 70s, and a couple are from smaller houses. We've all had the big graham's, at least back through the 70's. Let's keep it small (I'll look around for an amenable place shortly) and strive for a unique cross section of ports.

[Glenn E.]

and you'd have to transport 14 bottles which I don't imagine would be fun.

I was planning to pack them up and ship them to you.

An old leaky bottle tasting would still provide some interesting options if the group is small.

Actually, it may produce some far more interesting bottles. Most of my leakers are 60s & 70s, and a couple are from smaller houses. We've all had the big graham's, at least back through the 70's. Let's keep it small (I'll look around for an amenable place shortly) and strive for a unique cross section of ports.

Works for me! I don't have any leakers, and I don't know whether or not Sandy and Ruth have any, so you guys may need a few extras that we can adopt.

[g-man]

and you'd have to transport 14 bottles which I don't imagine would be fun.

I was planning to pack them up and ship them to you.

An old leaky bottle tasting would still provide some interesting options if the group is small.

Actually, it may produce some far more interesting bottles. Most of my leakers are 60s & 70s, and a couple are from smaller houses. We've all had the big graham's, at least back through the 70's. Let's keep it small (I'll look around for an amenable place shortly) and strive for a unique cross section of ports.

Works for me! I don't have any leakers, and I don't know whether or not Sandy and Ruth have any, so you guys may need a few extras that we can adopt.

I certainly would not turn down any non leakers