The "Deeper Underground" Offline (28 Jan 2008)

[DRT]

An offline in honour of our new friend JK and his Adams 1966's

Jdaw has offered some dates in January 08 for this extraveganza of port centered around the 1966 vintage. My contribution, should you wish to accept, will be a bottle of the Fonseca 1966 from the same provenance as that tasted at the F-Plan Offline.

Please vote and offer your available 66's in this thread. Anyone who has no 66's can offer their company and a commitment to share in the cost of the event. The plan is that we will taste nothing but 1966's for the whole evening and probably have the most comprehensive 1966 horizontal in recent history.

Provisional location is the Crusting Pipe, Covent Garden, London. All nationalities welcome, even Americans

Derek

[DRT]

I have voted for no reason whatsoever other than to enable me to see the results. Whatever the end result is it will be discounted by 1 vote for Monday 28th January.

...and whichever night it is I will be there

Derek

[uncle tom]

I shall be there in spirit only - OK, Aguardente - will be busy in warmer climes at that point..

Tom

[jdaw1]

If the date isn’t the Monday, I can easily bring any 1966 from Dow, Warre, and Berry Brothers’ Own Label (which is Warre). If it is the Monday, I’ll have a major panic rush getting from where-ever I am to Sussex and back again, but could cope. Or somebody passing Gatwick between now and then could collect for me. Or maybe JK could?

For those who don’t know it, The Crusting Pipe, 27 The Market, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD.

[KillerB]

1966 will be fun to find. I will see what I can get. I seem to remember that the Graham's was an absolute corker.

[DRT]

...somebody passing Gatwick between now and then could collect for me.

Between now and then I could certainly do that.

Derek

[Jay P]

Just picked up a case of 66 Grahams (my favorite semi-not quite-affordable VP), but sadly will not be able to make it. When the date is set I may pop one to be there in spirit.

Following Derek's suggestion, I had myself a 66 Warres the other day, which was truely excellent. Looking for a case now...

Jay

[AHB]

I can make the Monday or the Wednesday, but voted for the Monday 'cos that was first on the list.

Following on from Alan's comments, are you sure that you want to make it a purely '66 tasting or could we make it a '63 vs '66 tasting? I know a '66 only would be ideal for JK, but do we also want to broaden JK's experience with vintage?

The only '66 port that I would be able to bring would be the Fonseca but I have a much wider range of '63s to choose from.

Alex

[DRT]

I think we should hold off on a decision on theme until we know how many people are coming along. I like the 1963 v 1966 idea but I also like the Greatest 1966 Horizontal in History idea too

How many F66's have you got? I only have 2 so if you have more I'd prefer to use one of yours and I'll buy something else?

Derek

[StevieCage]

I'd love to join, but I'll be starting with a new job around those dates, so I will not know whether I can make until perhaps the last minute...

[JAYKAY32]

The Monday would be best for me and i would have no
problem picking up Jdaw1 on route if need be.

i am a total novice when it comes to port but willing to learn!!!

[DRT]

Attendee List:

1. JAYKAY32 (Guest of Honour)
2. Jdaw1
3. KillerB
4. AHB
5. Derek T.
6. SteveCage (maybe)

We need more for a truely spectacular line-up of ports. So far we only have 10 to 12 bottles from 1963 and/or 1966

Derek

[Simon Lisle]

I should be able to make it on a Monday, I Know I have Dow's 66's but I'll have a look to see what else I 've got.

[RonnieRoots]

Love to be there, but can't see it happening...

[Simon Lisle]

I had an Adams 63 not so long back I'm sure it was Borges

[Conky]

Simon,

Dont leave us in suspense...what was it like???

Alan

[DRT]

Attendee List:

1. JAYKAY32 (Guest of Honour)
2. Jdaw1
3. KillerB
4. AHB
5. Simon Lisle
6. Derek T.
7. SteveCage (maybe)

Wine Offers:

• Adams 1966 - JayKay32
• Fonseca 1966 - AHB & Derek T.
• Dow 1966 - Jdaw1, Simon Lisle & Derek T.
• Warre 1966 - Jdaw1
• BBR BOB 1966 (Warre) - Jdaw1

As you can see we are struggling to come up with a wide selection of 66's. However, if Simon does have another 66 which isn't A, D, F or W we could have the following:

• A66 - JayKay3
• F66 - AHB
• W66 - Jdaw1
• D66 - Derek T.
• Other66 - Simon Lisle

Derek

[Conky]

You have enough 66's to get a clear view of the vintage. Now you should slap in four 63's. Including Fonseca 63. That will take it to at least a bottle a guest, and the real Taste Challenge is on.
For our Era and our availability and expense, this is probably the ultimate Year v Year Challenge. I cant afford 48 v 55. I can do 70 v 77 another time. But 63 v 66 is the Big one in my lifetime. They at their best, and the conclusions reached that night will live with you for the rest of your life, I would suggest it would also influence and appear in countless Port conversations thereafter, like our Fonseca Off-Line is doing. A Benchmark Reference.

Alan

[DRT]

Alan,

You are absolutely right. This 63v66 Offline could achieve legendary status in the virtual world of port fora.

In order to edge us towards a top flight 63v66 line-up I will withdraw my offer of a Dow 66 and return to my original offer of a Fonseca 66, thereby allowing AHB to dig deep into his cellar and bring one of his precious Fonseca 1963's to the surface I can also offer the following:

• Burmester 1963
• Borges & Irmao 1963 (which could accompany the Adams 66)
• Graham's 1963
• Croft 1963
• Q d Noval 1963

Derek

[jdaw1]

My preference is a wider 1966 rather than a narrower double-horizontal. If necessary I can bring multiple 1966s, as, happily, due to a major re-routing of travel, I will be visiting my cellar the Friday before.

[Conky]

Jules,

Although I like the Year v Year concept, cant you sell your suggestion a bit more than that? What could you offer that might swing it back to the Glories of 66? I'd have to give money if it were for a 66.

Alan

[jdaw1]

My last UK tasting, chez vous, I paid £ not bottles, whereas you did the reverse. Change and change about.

Also, we are only five people: ten bottles would probably be enough.

[Conky]

I think you misunderstand. I dont mind paying, I often pay. I haven't got stock worth talking about.
And even though I was suggesting year against year, I hope I was open-minded enough to say 'Well pitch what you've got on the 66 front' That would give me and others to make an informed choice.

Does that explain better?

[AHB]

I'll pitch in to sell the concept of a wider '66 rather than a double horizontal.

1966 is still an underappreciated year, but one which the cognoscenti are growing to appreciate more and more. You had the opportunity to try the Fonseca '66 against some of its siblings recently and - from what I can gather from the notes of that Fonseca vertical - the '66 impressed significantly.

I have tried only 4 shippers from the '66 vintage and enjoyed every one of them. I would love to try other, different shippers so that I can attempt to discover (a) does this vintage have an overall profile of quality or is it just the big names that are worth buying; and (b) are there any hidden gems out there? We all know the Fonseca '66 is a stunning wine that you should buy whenever you can afford to, but the Adams is likely to be much cheaper than the Fonseca and might be a great way to access the '66 quality but at a substantial discount to the Fonseca price.

However, the '63 vs '66 theme should be carried forward to another time - perhaps Xmas 2008 or the TPF "Thank Goodness it's the Port Season Again" offline in August 2008.

Alex

[DRT]

When I first posted this thread I had it in mind that we would create a significant event by having the largest horizontal tasting of 1966 VP's in recent memory, probably since the year it was released and tasted by the trade and press in 1968. The relatively low number of attendees, small number of 66 wines offered, including a few duplications, plus Alan's arguments for a 63v66 head-to-head swayed me away from my original plan.

However, having read AHB's post I am now back to where I started. Let's go for it with the 66's and leave the 63v66 debate for another time. AHB and I have already done that one once before anyway so I think we should be breaking new ground with this offline and concentrate on what was once thought to be the lesser year.

Derek