ThePortForum.com

Hey. I have a question about an old bottle of port that was in the cellar of my late father for years.
Can someone tell me what kind of port it is, from what area and from what year it comes.
I know the label is partially damaged, but someone might be able to help. Thanks for the help.

https://ibb.co/Tc5PQNP
https://ibb.co/pjzpVHX
https://ibb.co/wWGpgQt

Although the name rings a very vague bell, I don't recall any details on this Port.

From the appearance I would guess that this is a ruby Port, probably the equivalent today of a Ruby Reserve. If I had to make a guess, I'd guess probably made from grapes grown in the Baixo Corgo sub-region. I don't recognise the name of the shipper, Antonio Maria Perei...

Could you photograph the base of the bottle and give us a link to that picture too please? From the appearance of the bottle, my estimate would be that this was bottled in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

It probably has a relatively small value, bottles of this type of Port from this sort of period are curiosities rather than great and magnificent wines. They can be quite good fun to drink, but can also be very light and simple. If you shine a light through the wine, what colour does the wine appear to be?

I am aware of a VAT 22 madeira, but if this is port it is new to me.

https://postimg.cc/WD0wtp75 (this is the bottom of the bottle)

It's an interesting bottle, but I can't add anything definitive either I'm afraid; I've only previously heard the brand "VAT 22" in relation to madeira, and agree with Alex that this is most likely a ruby or ruby reserve - though it is just possible that it might be unfiltered, and looks as though it has a driven cork rather than a t-stopper.

There appears to be no selo, so the bottle is likely pre-1975. The style of the label is very reminiscent to me of the fonts and styling used by British Transport Hotels in the 1960s, though there is nothing to indicate such association on the label, and no bottling date mentioned.

I would guess a (possibly unfiltered) ruby reserve from mid-late 60s.

Thank you for the information.
It is indeed a shame that the label is not clearer. Then some questions might have been easier to answer

The label is set in Futura which was wildly popular in Europe in the early- and mid-20th Century. It never really took off in the UK to the same extent because we used Gill Sans for everything. I guess the label might have been printed in Portugal since I can’t imagine a British mid-20th Century printer using the low quotation mark („).