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Now in the bar at the Cross Keys.

Arrived. Checked in. Unpacking and will be in the bar before 17.00.

ETA approx. 16.30

Voting sheets would be very useful, as would sticky labels.

Thank you both for coping.

Taxis have been booked.

Leaving the Cross Keys at 17.30.

No large cars available for the return journey so 1 car booked to do two runs from the White Horse at 23.45 and (roughly) 00.01.

PhilW wrote: ↑14:47 Tue 09 Dec 2025
Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑14:34 Tue 09 Dec 2025 And an unrelated question. Does anyone have a set of Port tongs they’d be happy to use to open bottles?

I’ve got a pretty full load and it would help if I don’t need to bring tongs.
Yes, I can bring tongs.

Thanks. That makes life a little easier for me.

And an unrelated question. Does anyone have a set of Port tongs they’d be happy to use to open bottles?

I’ve got a pretty full load and it would help if I don’t need to bring tongs.

I’m about to book a taxi from the Cross Keys hotel to the White Horse and back.

Pick up from the Cross Keys at 17.30.

Return pick up from the White Horse at 23.55.

2 seats taken.

Who else would like to share the taxi?

My food order checked and confirmed as correct.

Thanks for organising!

Does anyone have, or can point me to, a list of the permitted varieties of grapes which can be used in Port production?

I’m sure one must exist on the IVDP website, but I can’t find it!

That was an nyeresting read. Thanks Axel!

uncle tom wrote: ↑12:55 Sun 07 Dec 2025 Will be placing the steak order in the morning. Am assuming all will be on parade and none have turned veggie!

Thanks Tom!

I’m not aware of anyone coming being vegetarian.

Food order for me: - No starter - Yellowfin sole without crushed herb potatoes Sides of cauliflower cheese (with extra cheese) and fries - Desert / dessert decided on the night. I’ve been persuaded by the Voice of Reason (a.k.a. Julian Wiseman) not to bring a double magnum on a school night so I’ll ...

Is anyone expecting to be in London on the late afternoon / evening of Friday 19th December? If so, fancy a glass of something and a bite to eat?

I think everyone is missing the most important part of Zak’s analysis: Integrating the fact we drink more There's some leading UK data that drinking crazy amounts of booze still gives a HR<1 which means you'd live longer. So the clear conclusion of all of Zak’s work is that we’ll all be at the tasti...

Hello, This is my first post in this forum. I was reading this thread as I will be getting a Coravin 6 system in the idea of finally enjoying some vintage ports that I have been keeping for some 20 years in a cellar. The last posts in this thread goes back a few years so before sticking a needle in...

That was a fabulous post. Zak - thank you for going down a a most entertaining rabbit hole.

Note to self: ask Oscar to put many more bottles of Rosé Port in next year’s advent calendar.

Put me down too. I’ll bring something, but I’ll decide nearer the time. I don’t have a Nebuchadnezzar, but I do have a double mag of Sandeman Vau - that might be big enough to slate the thirst of someone who hasn’t drunk Port for 7 months.

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑19:36 Sat 23 Aug 2025 …Warre (4 year bottling)…

What more needs to be said?

Waitrose are running their “buy 6 bottles and get 25% off” offer this week.

It might be worth saying a few words about why you’re after a couple of bottles of this wine.

29th December is a bank holiday. Will that affect the ability to organise or attend an emergency?

Was there a recording of the Zoom tasting? If so, any chance of posting the link?

I may (>50% chance) be available for one of the invasion emergencies. Unlikely to be available for both.

Maybe the solution is for less VP to be sold when first bottled with more of the production being matured in the producer’s cellars and held back for later release. There would be a cash flow hit for the producer, but they would then have more control over the future price of the mature wine. We are...

I’ve just noticed that Aldi have switched their sourcing for the Fletcher’s Ports to the Fladgate Group (10YO and LBV).

Van Zeller are still the name behind the Special Reserve in 20cl bottles.

Labelled as "1948 Vintage Port matured in wood, bottled by G Verlinden & Zoon of S'Hertgoenbosch". From the appearance of the bottle it is estimated that the wine was bottled in the 1960s. Russet brown colour with a dark orange rim; 20% opaque. Light VA on the nose, mixed with orange c...

Corked - so disappointing. Not rated. 12-Dec-18.

Bronzed red colour, 40% opaque. Nosing of cinnamon and mace over baked currant cake that combines to give a wonderful nose. The texture is delightful, the flavours full and rich at first but the structure and fragrance flood through the mid-palate, highlighted by cinnamon and sandalwood. Rich and co...

Bottled 1952, decanted 1973. Rich brick-red colour, 70% opaque. Delicious soft spiced bruised apple nose, lovely and inviting. Elegant entry with soft flavours of caramel and toffee apple. Rich and elegant palate, beautifully perfumed. A great burst of flavours on the aftertaste and a huge dry, flav...

A wonderful dark brick-red colour; 70% opaque. A fabulous nose, full of complex fruit and spices — so wonderfully expressive. A fabulous palate, big and full of flavour. Multiple layers of fruit wrapped around power and punchiness; rich and complex. Fabulous finish and aftertaste. This is a stunning...

Sealed with a cork branded "Graham Finest Reserve 1948". A rich bronze colour, mature and attractive; 60% opaque. A spiced nose with lots of fragrance. Rich on the palate with lots of mace and complex spiced dried fruit. Lovely development on the palate with multiple layers of flavour that...

Muddy brown in colour with a touch of rust; 60% opaque. Extremely smelly on the nose, rather unpleasant. Just as unpleasant on the palate. Not rated. 12-Dec-18.

Deep rich copper brown colour, 70% opaque. Surprisingly closed on the nose, nothing more than a little celery salt. A lovely smooth texture on the palate, big tannins despite the bottle age and generous rich mature fruit flavours. Very powerful palate, very flavoursome with lots of dried and concent...

Bottled 1951. Deep bronze colour, slightly cloudy and opaque as a result. Fresh green apples on the nose. Golden syrup and sweet apples on the entry, but the mid-palate is very dry and lacks fruit. The palate has a certain amount of woodiness to it that is not pleasant, the late palate dry and showi...

Bottler not known. Dark mature brick-red, 60% opaque. Muted nose with lots of alcohol protruding; light perfume with gentle spice. Balanced fruit entry, mature and gently spiced with dried cherry and lots of mace. Less evolved and less complex than the Martinez 1948 drunk alongside. Big, but not sub...

A magnum from CMAG's cellar, opened alongside his Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . From magnum. Deep black/red with no rim. A wonderful nose of fresh cherries and blackcurrants; a nose which is balanced, fresh and delicious. Primary fruit with black cherry and powerful...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Mature appearance in the core with a medium rim and an opaque centre. Soft fruit leads on the nose, although it is a bit subdued. Balanced entry bringing dirty or baked fruit that was round, sweet and ripe b...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Deep red colour with no purple in the tone, but no bricking either. Little on the nose, harsh and not very attractive; dominated by sour fruit. Lots of blackcurrant comes through on the palate, which is frui...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Deep red in colour, opaque and with a narrow rim. A swirl releases lots of dark cherry fruit. Deep black cherry on the palate with lots of dry tannins that gives a chalky and dusty charcoal texture. The frui...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Bottle number 43201. Deep red with a medium rim. Little showing on the nose, surprisingly closed. Smooth and elegant entry. A touch of bottle stink shows on the palate. Lots of tannins show in the sweet frui...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Bottle number 22042. Deep red colour but with a brick tone; opaque centre and a medium rim — much darker than the earlier vintages. Fresh fruit on the nose, with lots of strawberry and restrained dark cherry...

A bottle from CMAG's Vesuvio 10th Anniversary Case, opened on Wednesday 13th February 2019 . Bottle 22 223. mature copper ed colour; 50% opaque. Fresher on the nose than the '89 or '90, showing more redcurrant and cranberry. Smooth onto the palate, bringing redcurrant and green leaves. The gentle ta...

I tend to get my Port news from here, FTLOP, Decanter, FaceBook / Instagram and direct mailings from the producers. If I get something direct, I tend to post the news here.

If anyone attending is interested in having a late lunch together before the Berry's tasting, drop me a PM and I'll coordinate something.

Bon Voyage! Axel's Portweinmesse is on my list of events to attend but it's at such a busy time of year for me.

And please do write up your visit. I love reading the stories that people post.

NV Graham Tawny 80YO (bottled 2025) Green rim with an olive brown core. Baked ginger on the nose, spiced and immensely complex. Slightly thickened in texture, with intense orange and marmalade on the palate being delivered with the perfect balance. The intensity of flavour and exquisite balance just...

NV Graham Tawny 40YO Pale orange rim, amber core. Stunning nose, wonderfully expressive, showing orange caramel and hazelnut. Honey palate, with orange and marmalade dominant. Full of flavour, with layer after layer of expression. This wine just gets bigger and better as it sits on the palate. A lit...

NV Graham Tawny 30YO Explosively expressive on the nose, with dried citrus peel and honey, deliciously lemony. Sweet orange and tangerine on the palate, with lemon and honey shining through. A firework display of an aftertaste, so full of flavour, with a gloriously grainy honey finish which just doe...

NV Graham Tawny 20YO
Red-amber in colour with a green-nutty nose, that also showing a little dried fig. Excellent balance on the palate with dried fruit, honey and nuts. This delivers a lingering finish of honeyed redcurrant and the occasional flash of cinder toffee. Harmonious Port. 90/100.

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