ThePortForum.com

AHB wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:The ‘character slur’ tasting: of course we’re in.

Alex: choose a date and start a thread. (But it could be more than a case sampling. A case, sure, but also some bottles from other bottlers.)

Doggett wrote:

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

Are you seriously suggesting that we should open an entire case of F63 between 12 people on a single evening? Splendid - I'm in!

Any updates on this wonderful idea? If it is going ahead and there is room I would like to join as the F63 is definitely in the top 2 ports I have ever enjoyed and I would like to try it again.

Patience people, the auction is not until March. If / when a case is purchased I will start the appropriate threads.

Count me in if I am in the country. The 1963 Fonseca is probably the best port I have ever had - and why should we stop at just one case?

Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

I'd be interested. Did you mean to say 120 /bottle?

I think Alex is doing his old trick of dividing the cost of an in bond case by 10 to get roughly the price of a bottle duty and VAT cleared. So, with these lots being 24 bottles, he is dividing by 20.

DRT wrote:I think Alex is doing his old trick of dividing the cost of an in bond case by 10 to get roughly the price of a bottle duty and VAT cleared. So, with these lots being 24 bottles, he is dividing by 20.

Ah, OK. That would be 160 per bottle then.

I thought it might be because each lot of 24 includes 3 or 4 low level bottles, so might have been price for sharing the good level bottles, with the low levels assumed as minimal value.

@AHB - please clarify. Will PM regarding interest.

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

I would be interested in a couple if the option was there please.


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AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

Yes, I would be interested if you decide to bid... (Anywhere between 2 and 4 bottles to fit in with everyone else's requirements and the case lot constraint)

I think offering this around is a ploy on Alex's part to up his holding of 63 without attracting the attention of his nearest and dearest ("I'm buying it for a friend darling"). It has already gone from 12 to 24 bottles. It won't be long before those 36 bottle lots are mentioned. Lot 342 and its sixty bottles is really where he is heading...

PhilW wrote:I thought it might be because each lot of 24 includes 3 or 4 low level bottles, so might have been price for sharing the good level bottles, with the low levels assumed as minimal value.

I'm happy to take the four "minimal value" bottles

I am assuming that these hammer down close to high estimate which means after premium and duty they will average out at £160-170 per bottle. If I manage to buy all 380 bottles (for all my friends on the port forum darling) I would adjust for condition when sharing them out with the best being 10% more than average and the worst 10% less.

Does this help to clarify?

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

Count me in for up to six bottles (fewer if they have to be rationed).

It is a pity we weren't able to buy these directly from the seller, and save ourselves the buyer's premium. Ah well, may all of our problems be so severe.

AHB wrote:Does this help to clarify?

Yes; thank you.

PhilW wrote:

AHB wrote:Does this help to clarify?

Yes; thank you.

Agreed, but AHB was still simply dividing the pre-duty price of 24 bottles by 20 to get a rough estimate of the bottle price

NEWSFLASH
The Port Forum collective was successful in buying lot 339 at the Bonhams sale today. Sadly this hammered down at top estimate of £4,800 (a little under £170 per bottle after all costs and expenses). I will keep 6 bottles back for a case tasting which means we have 30 bottles to share.

Could anyone who wants a bottle (or more) please confirm either in this thread, by PM or by email and let me know. If there are requests which total more than 30 bottles I will find a fair way to allocate them.

Nice work Alex. I'll take a couple if rationing allows.

AHB wrote:NEWSFLASH
The Port Forum collective was successful in buying lot 339 at the Bonhams sale today. Sadly this hammered down at top estimate of £4,800 (a little under £170 per bottle after all costs and expenses). I will keep 6 bottles back for a case tasting which means we have 30 bottles to share.

Could anyone who wants a bottle (or more) please confirm either in this thread, by PM or by email and let me know. If there are requests which total more than 30 bottles I will find a fair way to allocate them.

Alex, I would love to take 2 if possible. Let me know what proves fair and equitable. Ben


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Apologies to everyone for the delay, but this weekend I finally managed to inspect all 36 bottles of F63. The condition report from Bonhams was that the lot contained:
9 bottles into neck
5 base of neck
7 very top shoulder
10 top shoulder
3 high shoulder
2 high mid-shoulder

Following my review I rewaxed the bottle with the highest fill as it showed a small tear of seepage. I also recorked and rewaxed the bottle with the lowest fill as the cork had dropped into the bottle and the port was being kept in the bottle only by the seal. My inspection of the bottles has revealed the following conditions:
1 bottle into neck, rewaxed
8 bottles into neck
13 bottles base of neck
4 bottles just below base of neck
6 top shoulder
3 mid shoulder
1 low shoulder, recorked and rewaxed

Having now had the chance to inspect the bottles I will email everyone who previously expressed an interest in acquiring some of the bottles with a price and ask for a firm commitment. If anyone else would like to put their name forward, please do as I will keep a reserve list ready in case someone doesn't want their allocation.

Will anybody be attending the Bigwood wine auction this evening?

In light of the recent posts about NN31, Cheffins have a N31 up for auction next Wednesday

http://auctions.cheffins.co.uk/asp/full ... o=++157794

I shall be attending the Sworders auction next Thursday (14 Mar 19). Should anyone wish to deconflict bids or request pictures/condition of lots do let me know via PM.

I shall be attending the Cheffins auction tomorrow. Should anyone wish to deconflict bids do let me know via PM.

Lot 775 in the sale at Bellmans on 15-17 October is an Oporto-bottled Taylor's 1963, which the label says was bottled in 1966 in Oporto. This bottling is new to me. https://www.bellmans.co.uk/sales/sussex ... w-lot/775/

I shall be attending the Sworders auction next Wednesday (hopefully). Should anyone wish to deconflict bids or request pictures/condition of lots do let me know via PM.

I will be attending the Cheffins auction next week after quite some time away. Please let me know if others are attending.