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Apologies to everyone, but the date of this tasting has changed slightly - it's now to be held on Wednesday 17th June in the Red Room at the Boot & Flogger. Please can you confirm that you can make the new date. Christopher and I have been exchanging messages behind the scenes with Oscar, who ha...

Can I grab the last place on the list of attendees for an industry guest please?

I’ve had one error pointed out to me in my putting together the list of the first 14 people to reply to Tom in the order they replied. Correcting the error has moved Ian into the top 14 and moved Neil to reserve.

If I’ve made any other mistakes, please let me know.

Yes please

OK. First post is updated to include the people who have responded, including those who have confirmed availability for the date now the room's booked.

You might want to encourage people to say which shippers they have so you can coordinate what we have on the day.

Tom - just because people will be expecting the first post to contain the relevant details, I’ll edit the first post to hold information such as where, when, who and what.

I’m confirmed, at least I am for now.

Spot the 1980 vintage in the middle of the placemat!

Richard Mayson asked me yesterday to add his name to the reserves list, so I’ve done so.

That was a great evening, thanks for organising it Michael. The format was really interesting. I was surprised to find I had a clear preference for Smith Woodhouse in pretty much every vintage.

There are not many Port evenings when the best 4 wines are separated by just one point in scoring.

Incredibly useful thread for me as I'm buying Port for my twins birth year. I have about £1000 to spend - how would those at this tasting split it? I suggest you order 2 6-packs (@£150 per pack in bond) of the Skeffington from Ed at Montrachet Wines soon, as their stocks are running low. After that...

I am beginning to understand the 2024 vintage brings an elegance and refinement to the wines. The fruit is ripe, floral and wonderfully expressive and this wine from the Barão de Vilar portfolio shows this to its full. The wine is a rich purple in colour with a narrow rim. The purity of the fruit sh...

Dark maroon bordering on purple in colour, with a narrow rim. Damson fruit and esteva perfume on the nose, ripe and fragrant without being sweet. The fruit on the palate is caged and restrained. The interplay between the ripeness of the fruit, the fragrance and perfume, the powerful acidity and the ...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Quinta do Noval 2024. A dark rose red colour which a centre that is just transparent. Floral plum and prune on the nose. Smooth texture on the palate, carrying the purity of the fruit and almos...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Graham 2024. An attractive purple-red colour, with a centre that is just transparent. The most expressive nose of the four Symington wines on show at this tasting, bringing sweet red cherry and...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Dow 2024. Dark purple colour, opaque centre. A complex nose combining black damson fruit with a sweet rose petal perfume. A lovely texture on the palate where the plumpness of the wine shows ni...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Warre 2024. In contrast to the wine from Quinta do Vesuvio, the Warre has a centre which is just transparent. The fruit on the nose has a beautiful floral perfume to it with a little more struc...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Quinta do Vesuvio 2024. Dark purple in colour, opaque with a narrow rim — a complete contrast to the colour of the Fladgate Partnership wines. Concentrated bramble on the nose, a pure expressio...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Taylor 2024. The individuality of each of the wines from the Fladgate Partnership is a joy to see. Like its siblings, this wine has a transparent red centre but comes with its own distinct expr...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Fonseca 2024. Transparent red centre and coming with such a fragrant nose, so floral! A wonderful elegance on the palate, carrying pure fruit with delicate and soft tannins lurking in there. Th...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Croft 2024. Transparent red centre. An astonishing nose, just pure fruit, perfumed and fragrant. A gentle insistence on the palate with an opulence to the fruit that is such a joy. Black cherri...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Taylor Sentinels 2024. Transparent red centre. A little more fragrant on the nose than the Skeffington with more finesse and less intensity. Lovely textured tannins sitting in the fragrant frui...

A walkaround tasting of cask samples at the Montrachet Wines EP tasting of 2025 Bordeaux on 29 April 2026. Skeffington 2024, cask sample. 260 cases produced in 75cl format only. Transparent red colour. Perfumed fruit on the nose. A lovely balance on the palate with great grip in the perfumed fruit; ...

The organising thread in Port Conversations has turned into a de facto review of the ten 2024 Vintage Ports that were available for tasting at this event. Please have a read of that if you want an overview of the thoughts of Julian, Harry and me on what we tasted. But for convenience, I thought I wo...

Noval_2024_announcement.jpg Press release – April 29th, 2026 QUINTA DO NOVAL DECLARES 2024 VINTAGE PORT Christian Seely, Managing Director of Quinta do Noval, comments: “I am very happy to be able to announce the declaration of three exceptional 2024 Vintage Ports from Quinta do Noval: Quinta do No...

I have added everyone to the first post. I will be closing the expression of interest on Sunday 17th May. I plan to confirm numbers and draft itinerary at the end of the month. I noticed Mike wasn't on the list of interested people on the first post, assumed this was an oversight (he was the first ...

I shall be decanting (SW00 and QH00) on arrival at the B&F - hopefully no later than 1730.

When would these typically get released into the market? Summer? Fall? The Fladgate wines are currently available in the UK market. Symington and Noval will be offered after 18th May (which is when the UK official press launch takes place). The US press launches are happing this week (I think, mayb...

I love this theme. Subject to the date, I’m in.

Yes please. I’d keep 1978 in the line up. I don’t know if I have any at the moment, but I’ve drunk a couple of cases of 1978 Noval and thoroughly enjoyed them. It’s very definitely a Port which is ignored by most Port drinkers so is usually a bit of a bargain. Thanks Alex. I have updated the openin...

Yes please.

I’d keep 1978 in the line up. I don’t know if I have any at the moment, but I’ve drunk a couple of cases of 1978 Noval and thoroughly enjoyed them. It’s very definitely a Port which is ignored by most Port drinkers so is usually a bit of a bargain.

I vary between a Riedel Vinum Port glass if I’m drinking or a Spiegelau Discovery 430ml white wine glass if I’m tasting at home so pour size is irrelevant. I adore the latter, they are so light — but also so fragile because of their delicacy. Did you mean Definition? I'm unfamiliar with their Disco...

It’s never too late to update the list of declarations. A bottle of Quinta de São José 2017 VP was seen, purchased and drunk by one of our correspondents when visiting Kernowines in Falmouth.

I vary between a Riedel Vinum Port glass if I’m drinking or a Spiegelau Discovery 430ml white wine glass if I’m tasting at home so pour size is irrelevant. I adore the latter, they are so light — but also so fragile because of their delicacy.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. I was tasting alongside Julian and came to totally different conclusions on the wines we tasted — but no surprise there. It's no secret that Julian and I have radically different tastes when it comes to Vintage Port and this tasting highlighted that dif...

Glenn E. wrote: ↑16:29 Wed 29 Apr 2026 Received, thank you!

Themes that have been proposed:

1. White Port
2. Port with a date that ends in '6' but not 1966
3. VP that is 15 years old or younger

I have prepared for number 3.

Will anyone be offering in halves, a chap said, in vain hope? Fladgate said that Croft, Fonseca, and Taylor would be offered in halves and magnums, but neither Sentinels nor Skeffington. There was no representative of Symington, nor Noval. Noval have not bottled in half since the purchase by AXA. I...

Noval have finally made their official release announcement. QUINTA DO NOVAL DECLARES 2024 VINTAGE PORT Christian Seely, Managing Director of Quinta do Noval, comments: “I am very happy to be able to announce the declaration of three exceptional 2024 Vintage Ports from Quinta do Noval: Quinta do Nov...

Good news everyone! I have just been informed that our shipment of olive oil should be arriving in the UK next week and so should be with me at some point during the week commencing 11th May. I'll start bringing bottles into London shortly after that, although anyone who wants to come by the house a...

Is anyone planning to be in Porto for any of June? I won't be there for São João but I might be around for the Confraria ceremony and dinner.

Our friend Ed Hume-Kendall at Montrachet Wines has samples of the Fladgate wines (and some others) for tasting at the Montrachet Wines Bordeaux evening on 29th April, starting at 17.30. If anyone is able to, and would like to, attend, drop Ed an email or give him a call and I am sure you would be we...

Across both groups — the group of youngsters and the group of 20-somethings — there was a consensus that White Port & tonic was a fabulous, refreshing, long summer drink which was extremely easy to make. Most people also felt it was likely to be a spontaneous purchase when they were doing a week...

Is this still on for next week? If so, how about a theme of VP's that are 15 years old or less? It would be interesting to see how more recent, younger Ports are doing similar to the 2011 tasting you all had in the UK the other day. We're still on for next Thursday. We were chatting about this tast...

The second group of guinea-pigs were more accustomed to drinking Port, 20 or so friends in their 50s and 60s who live locally to me and who have drunk Port with me on other occasions. Perhaps unsurprisingly when I asked for volunteers to help me taste White Port & tonic mixes, none of the friend...

Before we get on to the scores, the big win for the day was how many were surprised at how much they enjoyed the drink. As the evening moved on and sunset approached, the chat got more relaxed and the mid-week blues gradually evaporated. By the time the rooftop terrace drinks had run out, the bright...

The setting for the first tasting was a rooftop terrace just off Clapham High Street, with an amazing view of the sun setting over the Common when looking west or a stunning view of the skyscrapers in the City of London when looking east. The guinea pigs were a group of 10 friends aged in their mid-...

mosesbotbol wrote: ↑13:33 Sat 25 Apr 2026 Any clear winners?

They're on their way, just got some things to do in the garden...

I also decided to use white Port that was easy to get hold of, either from an online retailer or from one of the main supermarkets. This led me to collect together 6 different shippers, those being: Vallado Porto Branco Cockburn Porto Branco, Fine White Port Churchill’s Dry White Port Graham’s Blend...

It’s the time of year when thoughts turn to long summer days — and I enjoy a White Port & Tonic as the perfect way to round off a warm, sunny day whether it’s been a busy one or a relaxed one. Spending a day sweating in the sun and the heat while working on the garden gives the perfect excuse to...

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑22:36 Sun 19 Apr 2026 No starter

Main: 3 sausage and mash - but with skinny fries instead of mash. Side of roasted carrots.

No dessert.

I'd like to amend my food order slightly please. I'll replace the carrots for a side of chunky creamed sweetcorn!

I try to drink one or two bottles of 2011 VP every year just to see how the vintage is developing. This was a great opportunity to try several bottles, including some of the top producers, side by side. As a general impression, I found these wines packed full of dense, ripe fruit. Fruit which is mag...

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