2011 Declarations

[RAYC]

By request of RAYC, this and subsequent two posts moved from 2011 Vintage Port review thread.

An important thing to point out is the Symington Family has kept wholesale pricing levels the same as from when the 2003 Vintage Ports were released. Kudo’s to them for keeping pricing at that level!!

While I don't doubt that there's more scope to price their more "popular" brands (eg: Graham) at more of a premium to their less well-followed brands (eg: Cockburn) than they currently do, or even to take more advantage when big points are awarded to a particular port by Suckling etc. (eg Dow 07), i do wonder how much rope there would be for port producers to play with before the types of complaints re: bordeaux en-primeur (that are so ubiquitous on wine-pages etc.) start getting applied to port. Taking Graham as an example, the 2011 is the most expensive vintage in the UK going back to 1985 and it is only once you get back into the 70s that prices really jump (best retail prices per case from reliable source in the UK (from winesearcher pro): 2011 - £470, 2007 - £420, 2003 - £390, 2000 - £415, 1997 - £340, 1994 - £375, 1991 - £370, 1985 - £520, 1983 - £450, 1980 - £514, 1977 - £600).

[Andy Velebil]

I think it's pretty unheard of for almost any corporation to keep its products priced the same from 8 years prior in this age of increased taxes, salaries and compensation, etc. TFP has stated they have only slightly raised their prices for their 2011 VP's. I haven't seen or been told what that slight increase is though. So for SFE to keep it the same from 8 years ago is very respectful.

Unfortunately, they have no control over what their importers/distributors/retailers do to jack up prices by the time we have to pay for them. But at least the reason for any uptick in price isn't the producer.

Honestly, I think VP could stand to handle a price increase. It's one of the last super bargains in the wine world and it's popularity, I predict, will rise in the coming years. Given most dry wines that score what VP's do by major reviewers typically command $100+ pricing (USD), VP at $65-85 is a real bargain and if pricing went up $10-20 per bottle at the wholesale level the market would still bear that from newer buyers. What may suffer is older buyers who get sticker shock, so to speak. But are older buyers still buying a lot of very young VP? Or is it the younger people looking to stock up for the future? I don't know the answer to that right now, so any thoughts are welcome.

[RAYC]

If Graham 1994, rated 96 by Parker and 95 by Suckling, is available to the end consumer at the best part of £10 per bottle cheaper than Graham 2011 (but with the best part of two decades of professional storage behind it), this suggests to me that it is commercial realism as much as "respectfulness" that is governing port en primeur prices.

Fantastic for us while it lasts, and no doubt something the port producers hope to change through their efforts to promote the profile of port (and i wish them best of luck in their efforts, since this is their livelihood), but i don't buy that prices are kept low out of any sense of altruism.

[jdaw1]

By request of RAYC, previous three posts moved from 2011 Vintage Port review thread.

[Glenn E.]

I believe machine made bottles started as early as the late 1800s?

surely by 1979 there were no longer making them by hand or did i miss read?

You mis-read.

Since the British measurements pre-date the US ones, it would be entirely plausible that the "fifth" came into usage in the US because it was a common bottle size in the UK and that only the name was derived from the US gallon. (And that, perhaps, as an act of rebellion.) Remember, bottles were hand-made in those days.

One might interpret this section to refer to the late 1700s or early 1800s. The term "fifth" was in common usage by the late 1800s, so clearly originated before then and before bottles were commonly machine made.

Standardization to the "metric fifth" only took place in 1979, but was also in widespread use long before it was official.

[Eric C]

I´ve been informed, that Quinta Seara d´Ordens declared 2011 Vintage https://www.facebook.com/DerPortweinberater

[Alex Bridgeman]

Taking Graham as an example, the 2011 is the most expensive vintage in the UK going back to 1985 and it is only once you get back into the 70s that prices really jump (best retail prices per case from reliable source in the UK (from winesearcher pro): 2011 - £470, 2007 - £420, 2003 - £390, 2000 - £415, 1997 - £340, 1994 - £375, 1991 - £370, 1985 - £520, 1983 - £450, 1980 - £514, 1977 - £600).

Do we know what the volumes of production were in each of these vintage years? I have a theory that the volumes of declarations have been shrinking recently. If that is the case, we might see this very well known (at least to us port buyers who are long in the tooth) dip in prices as ports close down become less pronounced as smaller amounts of port are traded on the secondary market in the first 10-15 years after release.

And honestly, who wants to buy the 1997 vintage these days. It's not very enjoyable to drink now and still needs 10 years before it hits its stride. It really ought to be cheaper than other vintages since it does not have the advantage of known provenance when ready for drinking nor the advantage of being ready for drinking now.

If anyone can add volumes to Rob's post, I would be really interested.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Noval and Noval Nacional are now officially declared.

[jdaw1]

Noval and Noval Nacional are now officially declared.

It would be better if that were mentioned on quintadonoval.com. Indeed, attempting to sign on to the newsletter produces ‟Cette page n'existe pas, vous allez être redirigé vers la page d'acceuil”. Sigh.

[djewesbury]

Where is the declaration listed, or is the information from a personal communication?

[djewesbury]

Found it
http://www.christianseely.com/2013/05/1 ... tage-port/

[Alex Bridgeman]

Where is the declaration listed, or is the information from a personal communication?

I've got the press release, but can't upload pdf files. However, the text reads:

QUINTA DO NOVAL DECLARES THE 2011 VINTAGE

This week, iconic Port producer Quinta do Noval announces the declaration of not only its 2011 classic Noval Vintage, but also the rare Nacional Vintage ”“ last seen in 2003, almost ten years ago.
‘Immediately after the foot treading in the lagares that September, we knew we were in the presence of what could be a great vintage year’, explains Managing Director Christian Seely. ‘The 2011 wines - many made from our replanted sites, now well into maturity - showed excellent aromas, with the true deep rich colour we look for in a wine with magnificent ageing potential. Over the past eighteen months the wines in cask have lived up to that expectation, and we are delighted , and proud, to make this declaration.’
Ironically, 2011 was a difficult and challenging year in the vineyard. Above average rainfall through the previous winter had replenished the underground water reserves, which compensated for the erratic climate through spring and summer ”“ heat waves, high nocturnal temperatures, strong drying winds and virtually no rain. Until the end of September, when the harvest began.
However, Noval decided to postpone picking for a week or so, to allow the vines to take advantage of this longed-for water, and the fruit to reach full maturity. It turned out to be the right decision, enabling this late harvest to take place in glorious, hot sunshine.
The resulting wines are already demonstrating their unique Noval pedigree. Of the Noval classic Vintage, Technical Director Antonio Agrellos says: ‘Very seductive ”“ a wonderful balance of intense concentration and delicacy with complex aromas redolent of violets, and fruit with purity and freshness.’. Looking at the Noval Nacional, he comments: ‘A strong distinctive personality with a brooding presence, where the tannins are powerful yet refined and the fruit very intense and concentrated. A balance that explodes in the mouth....’

[RAYC]

Taking Graham as an example, the 2011 is the most expensive vintage in the UK going back to 1985 and it is only once you get back into the 70s that prices really jump (best retail prices per case from reliable source in the UK (from winesearcher pro): 2011 - £470, 2007 - £420, 2003 - £390, 2000 - £415, 1997 - £340, 1994 - £375, 1991 - £370, 1985 - £520, 1983 - £450, 1980 - £514, 1977 - £600).

Do we know what the volumes of production were in each of these vintage years? I have a theory that the volumes of declarations have been shrinking recently. If that is the case, we might see this very well known (at least to us port buyers who are long in the tooth) dip in prices as ports close down become less pronounced as smaller amounts of port are traded on the secondary market in the first 10-15 years after release.

And honestly, who wants to buy the 1997 vintage these days. It's not very enjoyable to drink now and still needs 10 years before it hits its stride. It really ought to be cheaper than other vintages since it does not have the advantage of known provenance when ready for drinking nor the advantage of being ready for drinking now.

If anyone can add volumes to Rob's post, I would be really interested.

2011 - 8,000 cases
2007 - 6,000 cases (source: Wine Spectator TN)
2003 - 9,000 cases / 8,500 cases (sources: Roy Hersh TN and Wine Spectator TN respectively)
2000 - 9,000 cases (source: Suckling TN)
1994 - 11,000 cases (source: Wine Spectator TN)

I don't know whether you were being tongue-in-cheek about the 1997 vintage, but although it is 10 years away from hitting its stride, its 16 years closer than the current 2011s with professional storage fees paid for approximately 13 of those (£100)! In terms of your point re: provenance, most of the prices quoted are for cases that have never left bond. Of course, quality of vintage is another matter.

[djewesbury]

One thing that nobody has mentioned is the diminishing beneficio. Isn't the very tiny size of the 2011 vintage a combination of factors, the decision to limit supply by the producers PLUS the (possibly, prior) decision to limit supply by the IVDP? And what weight should we give to each of those factors?

[jdaw1]

I don’t think that they’re ‟limiting supply”. Instead VP has ceased to be relevant, except as a promotional tool for lower-grade massive-volume wines. E.g., GST will sell about 140 dozen, at about £60 a bottle retail. The whole lot is about £100k, a bit more than the Symingtons will spend on flights and trade fairs promoting it, but not by such a large margin. We care about VP. What we write and promote (‟Shipper Xxxx is The Dog’s”) is what matters. Selling a few dozen to us for what feels like £lots to us, and feels like £nowt to them, just doesn’t matter.

[RAYC]

Vintage Port is the icing on the cake...our main business is LBV and other styles

I'd be surprised if a class of port that accounts for 2% (?) of total port production would be particularly affected by the beneficio. Plus, in historic terms (i.e. looking at more than a 10yr trend), beneficio levels are not particularly low. I think the beneficio throughout most of the 1980s was under 80,000 pipes.

[DRT]

One thing that nobody has mentioned is the diminishing beneficio. Isn't the very tiny size of the 2011 vintage a combination of factors, the decision to limit supply by the producers PLUS the (possibly, prior) decision to limit supply by the IVDP? And what weight should we give to each of those factors?

The Beneficio can never affect the volume of VP produced. VP is a tiny fraction of what is pumped out of the Douro. The Beneficio is agnostic when it comes to Port style, so the only impact it has is in what grape growers can sell. If the IVDP decide that only 20 grapes can be used for Port and the producers need 18 for their VP there would be 2 grapes left for everything else. The reality is that the Beneficio allows many trillions of grapes to become Port and only a very few million become VP.

Selling a few dozen to us for what feels like £lots to us, and feels like £nowt to them, just doesn’t matter.

Nail on the head. Let's not get carried away with ourselves here. We buy a reasonable amount of the top end wines that these guys produce, most of which we buy on the secondary market so the producer sees exactly nothing from those purchases. The distributors that were allocated very small amounts of GST (who happen to be the life blood of the producer because they also sell many millions of gallons of cheap stuff) will have done the natural thing and allocated those bottles to the customers who spend the most money with them. Not something that should surprise anyone who has ever done business.

I appreciate that it is frustrating that some of us have been unable to bag a case or two of one of the rarest wines ever produced, but let's not bite the hand that feeds us.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I don't know whether you were being tongue-in-cheek about the 1997 vintage, but although it is 10 years away from hitting its stride, its 16 years closer than the current 2011s with professional storage fees paid for approximately 13 of those (£100)! In terms of your point re: provenance, most of the prices quoted are for cases that have never left bond. Of course, quality of vintage is another matter.

Thanks for the volumes - less noticeable reduction in volume than I was expecting.

And no, I wasn't being tongue in cheek about the 1997 vintage. If I buy 1997 now I am looking for a very keen price AND confidence in the storage conditions. I will have to hold on to this for 5 years before I really want to start drinking them. I am prepared to pay a premium for wines bought on release so that I know I have them and also know that I will not be a risk of buying wines which have been poorly stored - but completely accept your point that most 1997s being offered these days have been kept in temperature controlled bonded warehouses since being shipped.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Taking Graham as an example, the 2011 is the most expensive vintage in the UK going back to 1985 and it is only once you get back into the 70s that prices really jump (best retail prices per case from reliable source in the UK (from winesearcher pro): 2011 - £470, 2007 - £420, 2003 - £390, 2000 - £415, 1997 - £340, 1994 - £375, 1991 - £370, 1985 - £520, 1983 - £450, 1980 - £514, 1977 - £600).

I've been really interested in the shapes of pricing curves for vintage port for some time, but never put into practice what I had observed when it came to buying port. So purely out of interest, I thought I would extend Rob's pricing data back a few more vintages (my prices are per case, in bond):

• 2011 - £470,
• 2007 - £420,
• 2003 - £390,
• 2000 - £415,
• 1997 - £340,
• 1994 - £375,
• 1991 - £370,
• 1985 - £520,
• 1983 - £450,
• 1980 - £514,
• 1977 - £600,
• 1975 - £500,
• 1970 - £945,
• 1966 - £1,150,
• 1963 - £1,550,
• 1960 - £960

[Chris Doty]

The G94 remains one of the greatest values in vintage port. 11,000 cases produced is likely keeping a cap on prices, which is great for us. Had it a few times at the Lodge the other month -- still primary and a bit closed, but starting to shed some of the fat and is clearly going to be a long lived and delicious port.

Along with the Vesuvio, outrageous QPRs.

AHB -- want to PM me your source for the case of 1960? Seems like a tempting price!

[jdaw1]

Fact sheets for Quinta do Noval 2011 (‟best drunk 4 to 40 years after bottling”) and Quinta do Noval Nacional 2011 (‟best drunk 5 to 50 years after bottling”).

[TLW]

Taking Graham as an example, the 2011 is the most expensive vintage in the UK going back to 1985 and it is only once you get back into the 70s that prices really jump (best retail prices per case from reliable source in the UK (from winesearcher pro): 2011 - £470, 2007 - £420, 2003 - £390, 2000 - £415, 1997 - £340, 1994 - £375, 1991 - £370, 1985 - £520, 1983 - £450, 1980 - £514, 1977 - £600).

I've been really interested in the shapes of pricing curves for vintage port for some time, but never put into practice what I had observed when it came to buying port. So purely out of interest, I thought I would extend Rob's pricing data back a few more vintages (my prices are per case, in bond):

• 2011 - £470,
• 2007 - £420,
• 2003 - £390,
• 2000 - £415,
• 1997 - £340,
• 1994 - £375,
• 1991 - £370,
• 1985 - £520,
• 1983 - £450,
• 1980 - £514,
• 1977 - £600,
• 1975 - £500,
• 1970 - £945,
• 1966 - £1,150,
• 1963 - £1,550,
• 1960 - £960

It would be an interesting exercise to do this across all of the major houses, and I wonder whether Graham may be an anomaly amongst the 3-5 majors. Taylor, which is probably regarded by most as somewhat more desirable than Graham on average (matter of taste), has the following price curve:

2011 480
2009 390
2007 477
2003 690
2000 691
1997 450
1994 936
1992 1397
1985 520
1983 564
1982 529 ??
1980 593
1977 945
1975 484
1970 1133
1966 1124
1963 ca 2000
1960 1200
1955 2400

This is very rough - having a couple of assumptions, amd is mostly based off of the FRW website, and a couple of others (1963 is a guess, and is now almost unobtainable). On this basis, it would appear that the best value for money in Taylor - if one can be comfortable with the provenance - would be the 2009, the 1997, and possibly the 1985. I have not done it for Fonseca, but it is simple enough to do, and probably looks much like the Taylor.

This suggests that if one is an afficianado of Taylor or Fonseca, buying en primeur works out better than it does for one who prefers Graham. However, for us lifelong Graham lovers, this works out well, as there seems to be surfeit of highly cellarable - and drinkable wine at attractive prices. Having not had the 94 Taylor, I wonder whether this is more than twice as good as the 1994 Graham, which is a very pleasant drink.

This is one of the reasons that I so value the tasting notes on this site, and mostly ignore the Parkers of the world.

Finally, I would find it difficult to pay the same price for a 1960 Graham that I would for a 1970 Graham (provenance being equal).

[djewesbury]

Has anyone else seen notes on the Skeffington? Or perhaps those who were at Noel Young today had a chance to taste it? This is on the Nickolls & Perks website:

Starting with the Skeffington(91-93) which I learnt was a name given to celebrate the historic 19th century partnership between Charles Neville Skeffington and the Yeatman family. This was a good introduction to the serious quality this vintage is offering. With cool charm and great freshness in the fruit, leaving the finish long.

[g-man]

i believe they're pouring them on june 6th when i'll be going to the tasting

i'll keep track to post a note.

[RAYC]

It would be an interesting exercise to do this across all of the major houses, and I wonder whether Graham may be an anomaly amongst the 3-5 majors. Taylor, which is probably regarded by most as somewhat more desirable than Graham on average (matter of taste), has the following price curve:

Going back to 1980, there are only a few anomalies of which i am aware:

Dow 2007 - £670
Taylor 2003 - £630
Noval 1997 - £2000
Noval 1994 - £900
Taylor 1994 - £940
Fonseca 1994 - £840
Taylor 1992 - £1250
Fonseca 1992 - £580

The reasons for these are a combination of points, scarcity, and the "Taylor-effect".

But let's say that in 1996 you had invested £400 in an inflation-linked saving certificate instead of buying 1994 port en primeur. At the end of 2012 you would have had in the region of £650 and have saved on port storage fees for 15 years (currently £8-10 per case, if you are like me and have to store cases professionally due to lack of space). That's £750-800 of spending power that you would have now for 1994 port if your investments had done no better than match inflation...

That said, i do think that AHB's point is valid and that there is reason to believe that buying 20 to 30-yr old port will not be as cheap in future:

- production was significantly higher in the 1980s. Bruce Guimaraens made the point at BFT that 1985 was the last vintage which TFP had held back in a significant enough quantity to support large ex-cellars releases

- port buying habits have changed. Large institutions used to buy significant stocks of port to lay down. Over the last 10 years, a lot of these have made their way to market.

However, my gut feeling is that - absent a spike of interest from the East - it will be a long and very gradual process (and, of course, i suspect the price of en primeur will simply peg any rise in the price of back-vintages!)

I should also note that my own purchasing habits for vintages 2007 onwards display a flagrant disregard for this logic.

[djewesbury]

Croney & Barrow had their internal tasting of 2011s last Thursday, the 16th; but as yet, still no offer from them.

[Alex Bridgeman]

There will also be a Maynard's 2011 and a Quinta da Dona Matilde 2011 port from Barao de Vilar.

[jdaw1]

a Quinta da Dona Matilde 2011 port from Barao de Vilar.

The list already has a ‟Barão de Vilar”: is the ‟Quinta da Dona Matilde” different, or the same with more accurate naming?

[djewesbury]

Corney & Barrow full offer here.

They think the Nacional will be £300 a bottle:

"Quinta do Noval Nacional ”“ price yet to be fixed but it is in the region of £300 / case of 1ib"

[jdaw1]

Corney & Barrow scores:
• 19 Graham
• 19 Taylor
• 19 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
• 18¾ Graham The Stone Terraces
• 18¾ Fonseca
• 18¾ Niepoort's Bioma Vinha Velha
• 18 Warre
• 18 Churchill
• 18 Sandeman
• 17¾ Niepoort
• 17½ Cockburn
• 17½ Ferreira
• 17 Vesuvio
• 17 Offley
• 16¾ Dow
• 16¾ Croft
• 16¾ Quinta do Noval
• 16½ Pintas
• 16 Skeffington
• 15¾ Quinta Vale Dona Maria
• 15½ Smith Woodhouse

Discuss!

[djewesbury]

• 16¾ Quinta do Noval

Seems surprising

[jdaw1]

I haven’t yet tasted the Noval, but Dow was my favourite non-special-cuvée. Yet:

• 16¾ Dow

Croft is also surprisingly dis-favoured.

[djewesbury]

I haven’t yet tasted the Noval, but Dow was my favourite non-special-cuvée. Yet:

• 16¾ Dow

Croft is also surprisingly dis-favoured.

I agree with you about the Dow. I don't recall tasting the Croft. Smith Woodhouse is completely beyond the bounds of acceptability it seems.

[jdaw1]

Smith Woodhouse is completely beyond the bounds of acceptability it seems.

Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection.
14-16 A very good to excellent wine.
16-18 An excellent to outstanding wine.
18-20 An outstanding to legendary wine.
•Wines are judged within their peer group.
• A definitive score of a young wine is almost always impossible. We usually offer a 'spread' (e.g. 14-16) which relates to the potential to achieve a higher mark. A ‘+’ adds further to that potential.
• A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes.

So C&B think SW11 (a Battersea and Clapham Junction Port) to be almost excellent.

[djewesbury]

You imply that they will be drinking a lot of Noval in Arnos Grove... And quite a bit of Warre in Notting Hill. These seem equally believable.

[RAYC]

Corney & Barrow scores:
• 19 Graham
• 19 Taylor
• 19 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
• 18¾ Graham The Stone Terraces
• 18¾ Fonseca
• 18¾ Niepoort's Bioma Vinha Velha
• 18 Warre
• 18 Churchill
• 18 Sandeman
• 17¾ Niepoort
• 17½ Cockburn
• 17½ Ferreira
• 17 Vesuvio
• 17 Offley
• 16¾ Dow
• 16¾ Croft
• 16¾ Quinta do Noval
• 16½ Pintas
• 16 Skeffington
• 15¾ Quinta Vale Dona Maria
• 15½ Smith Woodhouse

Discuss!

An interesting write-up of the C&B tasting - which was conducted blind - has been posted here.

Query whether C&B's final scores were also composed blind....

[Andy Velebil]

Interesting as my score right now on the Dow's would be in line with theirs. I wasn't too impressed at this young stage. But time will tell if its just a youthful awkward stage (as i suspect) or not.

[djewesbury]

Interesting as my score right now on the Dow's would be in line with theirs. I wasn't too impressed at this young stage. But time will tell if its just a youthful awkward stage (as i suspect) or not.

That is interesting; it showed well in London and was quite fine...

[djewesbury]

Posted this in another thread but thought it should be repeated here too. Just to say that Fine + Rare have a good price on Niepoort 11 if anyone hasn't already bought it.

[Alex Bridgeman]

a Quinta da Dona Matilde 2011 port from Barao de Vilar.

The list already has a ‟Barão de Vilar”: is the ‟Quinta da Dona Matilde” different, or the same with more accurate naming?

I am told that they are different blends from different vineyards. Interestingly Barao de Vilar have recently bought the Feuerheerd name and might be releasing a 4th blend under that name in future years.

[djewesbury]

a Quinta da Dona Matilde 2011 port from Barao de Vilar.

The list already has a ‟Barão de Vilar”: is the ‟Quinta da Dona Matilde” different, or the same with more accurate naming?

I am told that they are different blends from different vineyards. Interestingly Barao de Vilar have recently bought the Feuerheerd name and might be releasing a 4th blend under that name in future years.

While we're at it, is Maynard not a Barão de Vilar brand? Should that be nested under BdV in the first post?

[gerwin.degraaf]

2011 TFP release prices now received.

Packing formats available:

12 x 37.5cL
12 x 75cL
6 x 75cL
6 x 150cL
1 x 300cL
1 x 600cL

Skeffington will only be available in 6 x 75cL & 12 x 75cL, VVV will only be available in 3 x 75cL

Prices are per 9L case. Prices for 300cL and 600cL format include a 10% surcharge.

Prices are IB from TPS, offer closes mid July.

Taylor - £456.00/cs (300cL - £167.20, 600cL - £334.40)

Taylor VVV - £1226.64/cs ( = £306.66 for 3 x 75cL)

Fonseca - £456.00/cs (300cL - £167.20, 600cL - £334.40)

Croft - £364.80/cs (300cL - £133.76, 600cL - £267.52)

Skeffington - £228.00/cs

Hi Uncle Tom,

I've sent you a (actually two) PM, about the VP's that I would be interested in, if it is possible to arrange a pick-up moment for me (since I'm from The Netherlands, and would like to come over to the UK to pick them up at some point.
Best regards!

[Glenn E.]

If anyone sees an offering for Graham's in double magnums, please let me know. USA shipping preferred, but I could probably also arrange to store a purchase in the UK to be picked up at an unspecified later date if necessary.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Some more confirmed declarations, confirmed non-declarations and a limited release declaration.

Declared:
Alves de Sousa
Dalva
Duorum
Quinta da Romaneira
Quinta da Senhora do Convento
Quinta de Vale da Dona Maria
Quinta de Vale Meao
Rozes Quinta do Pego

Vinko - Companhia de Vinhos declared the following three labels:
Quinta Dona Matilde
Maynards
Barao de Vilar
Vinko also own Feuerheerd but did not declare a 2011 Feuerheerd vintage port

I am told that there was a limited amount of Quarles Harris 2011 made to order for a specific customer in the US. This is not going to be offered as a general release.

Confirmed as not declared:
Heredias (only made the Senhora do Convento label)
Quinta Nova do Nossa Senhora do Carmo

Please could the owner of the first post of this thread update that first post.

Thanks JDAW!

[g-man]

do we typically include SQVP as part of 2011 declarations?

[jdaw1]

First post updated. Please check.

In thirty years we will want to do a proper horizontal of this vintage, and with so many small-volume declarations that will be impossible.

[djewesbury]

The Wine Society are apparently going to offer a TWS SFE blend. Is that likely to be a Quarles Harris by another name? Or a custom blend?

[jdaw1]

Readers of this thread might be interested in a proposed horizontal to be held on Sunday 23rd April 2051.

[jdaw1]

I mentioned Crasto. I intend to get hold of this in the Douro in September. I notice that it is not included in the list of 2011 Vintage Ports declared to which JDAW linked above..

Added.

[jdaw1]

Is it ‟Offley”, or ‟Offley Boa Vista”?

(Same image, copied from sograpevinhos.eu to jdawiseman.com)

I think Offley Boa Vista.