ThePortForum.com

Howdy, just fished this bottle out of an old wine cellar in an estate clean out. You folks seem to be the ones that really know this stuff! Any help on value, desirability, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I could find no information about this bottle anywhere (other than just a photograph). Best, E.

Can you take better pics of the labels and capsule? Also, what is the fill level of the bottle? Where exactly was it stored and in what general geographical area has it been stored all these years?

I will send better photos this evening. The bottle was stored in a cool basement with other old bottles of liquor / wine in Pennsylvania USA. Thanks, E.

Here are more photos and an arrow that denotes level of liquid. Best, E.

Guys, having a real time with these photos. Sorry, I'll do one at a time. If there is a SPECIFIC image you would like, please ask. It does not like when I upload multiple images. Again, Thanks for your time. E.

Thanks for the additional pics. It appears to be a vintage Port and not a tawny. Most likely bottled somewhere around 1929-1931ish. The fill level isn't so great. The producer isn't/wasn't highly regarded in that era and is largely not known by most today. Given the passive storage, low fill and other issues putting a value is a bit tricky. For a private sale in the U.S., perhaps around the $100-150 range. You may get a little more at auction, then you have to subtract sellers fees and whatnot. Probably not worth the hassle trying to sell one bottle.

Do you or anyone you know enjoy Port? If so, I'd recommend opening it with friends to see how it is. Stand up right for a day or more to let the sediment settle then carefully remove cork with an Ah-So and decant into a decanter until you reach the sediment. An hour or two in the decanter shouldn't hurt it and most likely will help it show better. But take a small taste on decanting and every 30 minutes or so to see how it's coming along.

Wasn't Prohibition 1920-1933? So this wouldn't have been imported then, and the labeling just doesn't strike me as "of the era." That said, maybe worth picking up and NY/NJ crew adds it as an oddity to the next gathering?

EJINPA -- where in PA? I'm in NJ.

SushiNorth wrote:Wasn't Prohibition 1920-1933? So this wouldn't have been imported then, and the labeling just doesn't strike me as "of the era." That said, maybe worth picking up and NY/NJ crew adds it as an oddity to the next gathering?

EJINPA -- where in PA? I'm in NJ.

Difficult to say as there were various exceptions during prohibition.

I would say that the bottle's primary (and perhaps only) value comes from the fact that it's an oddity. As Andy said, Valente, Costa & Co was not highly regarded then and is basically unknown now. 1927 was a very good year for Port, but the low shoulder fill says that this bottle is probably not in very good shape.

I would open it with friends, but have a backup bottle ready just in case this one turns out to be simple and bland. Which seems likely to me given that it's a poor fill from a lower-tier producer.

Or you might be able to parlay it into entry for the next NY/NJ Port tasting if you'd like to experience a variety of good Port.

Lets talk tasting options! I'm 1.5 hours from NYC. Poconos.

More info on this website: (same bottle): https://www.vivino.com/valente-costa-ca ... ?year=1927
also more about the company: https://www.vivino.com/valente-costa-ca ... /w/2855722

PeterPort wrote: ↑08:42 Thu 30 May 2019 More info on this website: (same bottle): https://www.vivino.com/valente-costa-ca ... ?year=1927
also more about the company: https://www.vivino.com/valente-costa-ca ... /w/2855722

Perhaps I am missing something, but I see no information about the bottle or the company on either of those two links.

I thought everyone knows. You have to sign in at Vivino.com (for free)
Than you can see:


and

I could see that, but other than a pic of a bottle in each I didn't see any actual info about the Port or the producer.

Ok, from an archive in Portugal. Translated using google translate.

SCOPE AND CONTENT
The album portrays Gaia company Valente, Costa & Cª, Lda. Valente, Costa & Cª., Ldª. was founded in 1890 and was headquartered at Rua Visconde das Devesas 71, Vila Nova de Gaia. The company was dedicated to the export of wines, mainly of Port wine. The exporting countries included Brazil and Finland.

João de Pinho e Costa, his main promoter, entered the company Almeida & Valente, a wine store, as a clerk. However, when he became the principal owner, he changed his name to Valente, Costa & Cª Lda.

The picture on vivino certainly seems to validate the style of label but as Andy said earlier the main problem with this bottle is the fill level.

EJINPA, as others have said I think you would be well advised to use this as a ticket to a tasting

To me this looks genuine and most likely a colheita port of the vintage 1927. Perhaps bottled a couple of decades later and could then very well be imported after the prohibition.

JB vintage wrote:To me this looks genuine and most likely a colheita port of the vintage 1927. Perhaps bottled a couple of decades later and could then very well be imported after the prohibition.

I perhaps thought so to. But here’s why I disagree

- “RUBY” on the next label
- back label saying throws sediment
- those types of labels with old medals were popular pre WW2. would be odd to still list so long (half a century) after the medals issued.

Everything seems to point to a VP bottled pre WW2.