ThePortForum.com

In Val McDermid's Splinter the silence, the Chief Inspector attends a function where Dow 2007 is served, and is told that it is "probably the best port Dow has ever produced".

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑07:42 Mon 29 Sep 2025
flash_uk wrote: ↑07:34 Mon 29 Sep 2025 Someone has devoted ~ > 40 hours of effort over the past months to prepare for this tasting.

Thank you Julian, it’s very much appreciated!

Hear, hear; the huge efforts involved in planning, preparation and logistics for this tasting are much appreciated.

Rather than fake, could the hard black perhaps be someone rewaxing, if the bottles may have been damaged and/or seeped at some point? (how do the levels and (wine) colour compare to the known bbr/arms-capsule bottle? I'd be tempted to take the lower level or poorest colour black waxed bottle and eit...

I agree it sounds odd, and unlikely. There are some years where there have been multiple colours for a single port bottled by BBR, but they've always (to my knowledge) used BBR/arms capsules. For Fonseca '66, all the BBR-bottled bottles I have seen are dark green capsules with BBR/arms on top. See h...

nac wrote: ↑08:18 Fri 26 Sep 2025 Virtual Get Together, hopefully via Phil's Zoom?

No problem (I hope!)

We're online now.

Thur eve: Salmon; *Steak (Medium-rare) and chips; Brownie Fri lunch: Scotch egg; Mushroom pasta; Cheese plate Fri eve: Salmon; Chicken supreme; Lemon tart Welsh Rarebit * would happily share a special steak with Alex on the Thurs evening per above (otherwise standard sirloin please). Revision of or...

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑09:29 Tue 23 Sep 2025 Thursday - Phil - do you fancy the cote de boeuf?

Friday - Justin and I will share a tomahawk steak

Works for me.

Thur eve: Salmon; *Steak (Medium-rare) and chips; Brownie
Fri lunch: Scotch egg; Mushroom pasta; Cheese plate
Fri eve: Salmon; Chicken supreme; Lemon tart

* would happily share a special steak with Alex on the Thurs evening per above (otherwise standard sirloin please).

After a quick search, it seems that statistics are now published biennially for the Government hospitality wine cellar; see here for the report on the two years to March 2024. This doesn't provide much details on current contents, but does provide interesting detail on what has been drunk during the...

from my understanding these wines came from the government wine cellar. there is around 40k bottles in there. Indeed; I think it used to be called the Government Hospitality cellar (or something close to that) a few years ago when a freedom on information request response was published with a list ...

At the UK state banquet hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla for President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle, 1945 Warre vintage port was served. How many bottles do you think were opened? And how many of the attendees do we think actually enjoy port? I may cry. Or, even if this event was desi...

I should be able to be there before 5.30 and happy to help with pouring.

Agree with OFW.

From a well-known book : 1965 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas ✔ Produced and sold ► Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd., June 1983, at £10.35 per bottle. ► The Wine Society, ref 6234, from April/September 1977 at £4.20 to October 78/April 79 at £4.65: “Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, 1965, very fruity, mat...

Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR. Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintages? I have seen and tasted English-bottled 1967 Taylor Vargellas bottled in both 1969 and ...

BBR bottled both 64 and 65 TV. Any pics? I've only seen these for '64 and '65: https://www.vintageport.info/vpid/images/bottles/IMG_6955.JPG https://www.vintageport.info/vpid/images/bottles/IMG_6689.JPG which both have an extra label showing they were sold by BBR but the main label shows Oporto-bot...

I believe that all Vargellas 1965 was bottled in Porto, in 1968 - but I might be wrong... Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR. Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintag...

Food order please:

Soup,
Sirloin (medium rare) + chips.
- Any chance of some gravy? (perhaps the madeira gravy they serve with the bangers and mash?)

Thanks.

Was this bottle a later cellar release? I didn't think bar codes were in wide use around 1977. It must have been. It has an IVDP sello. I don’t remember exactly when the IVP became the IVDP, but it was certainly after 1977. IVP -> IVDP in 2003 according to my selo notes; so 2003+ release. No idea w...

What time are we aiming to start tonight? My tasks for today are to paint the en suite, change a solenoid on a remote valve and to catch up on yesterday’s cricket. I need to ensure all tasks are completed by the time we start! That's a good question! Shall we aim for 7.30, but with no pressure to b...

Zoom invite sent by PM to attendees per first post list.

I really like Pasteis de nata. Sadly, King's Cross' Waitrose has not had any on return from my last couple of London visits, so it has been ages ... Then in my local Waitrose I saw these: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250730/e312881ac701c9f371b636e2626f201b.jpg I know that they are tricky to ma...

Sounds like a good idea. For me the must-haves would be F92, V94, W97 (for current drinking). The would-like-to-haves (to see if they're ready yet) would add F94, T94; I haven't tried the NNs. For comparison I would add nice-to-haves of T92, G94, and V97. One option could be a matrix of F/T/V/W/G/NN...

Yes please; 60/66/70/77/85.

rich_n wrote:I've realised I don't personally have group video chat (aka Zoom) so I was wondering if any of the attendees can offer this option for the group?

I can sort zoom for us.

Could be up for Aug 6th zoom, definitely not avail 7th (anniv).

jdaw1 wrote: ↑11:21 Sat 05 Jul 2025 Phil: at the next opportunity please can we exchange some non-sterile for sterile, to permit small at-home pre-experiments.

Of course.

With apologies, but I'm going to have to drop from this tasting.

Tom Archer recently recommended “ ABENA Gauze Pads , 100 Pack, 10x10cm Wound Dressings, Non-Sterile, Soft Absorbent Gauze for Wound Dressing, Non-Adhesive Dressings for Wounds”, though the 20cm×10cm recently became cheaper than the 10cm×10cm. Tested; have worked well for me. At the recent ’55 horiz...

A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away...) I performed some Decanting method experimentation ; however that was only the beginning, and as mentioned in this follow-up post in that thread, my conclusions quickly changed based on further tests and limitations to the original testing. However, it s...

An excellent day; my first London tasting for a while and it was great to be back with everyone. Lots of thanks to go around, in particular: - to Christopher for setting up the tasting, and for dropping by to say hi despite unfortunately not being able to take part; - to Cliff for still supplying bo...

Bottles - I will need to adopt for this one.

Dinner - the following please:
- Soup
- Rib-eye (medium rare), chips, peppercorn sauce, chimichurri Broccoli

Proposal: • Taylor and Sandeman be decanted late the night before (Mon 30 th June). • All others be decanted early morning on the day (Tue 1 st July). Objections? No objection, but observation that Monday is due to be >30C in the late afternoon. Would prefer to retrieve and decant on Tues am (when ...

BRPetrie wrote: ↑13:21 Thu 26 Jun 2025 Cockburn also showing good redness with a very promising fill!

Is that Cockburn definitely a '55?
Asking because I recognise that as the Cockburn '60 capsule - which is the only vintage I've seen it on to date.
(VPID set of Cockburn capsules 1955-60 for reference).

Standing is a Taylor which is 3mm into neck. The first-drawn bottle, Hennecky bottler, is high shoulder. Can we be bothered with both? Or does it die at home in my company? What's the colour like? If it looks as good as the first or better, then why not compare them. If not as good, then suggest no...

jdaw1 wrote: ↑20:30 Sun 22 Jun 2025 2003 Taste The Difference — and I did — was so corked that even I could be sure how terribly corked it is.

Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑07:24 Tue 24 Jun 2025 A half bottle of Croft 2004 LBV opened to share with JDAW was the first out of 50+ of these I’ve drunk to be corked.

Julian seems to be having an unlucky week.

Current version of the placemats ; pictures in the first post . Updated: +Neil, −Christopher; +Tuke Holdsworth, −Avery, −Ramos Pinto (@Tony to confirm); /FillTextMinFontSizeProportionLargestTitleAboveBelowOver 0 def , as sort-of requested by Phil; and /FillTextMinFontSizeAbsolute {SheetNum 0 eq {8}...

How about, in 2034, 67s @ 67 @ 67[PM]? I'm in. Obviously I'm now trying to think of other nicely symmetrical tastings. But we don't have to wait that long; next year would provide 66@60 and 60@66, as well as 63@63; though that really just sounds like a good excuse for a 60/63/66 matrix tasting tbh.

Taking over as organiser at Christopher's request.
Note however that I'm unlikely to be able to arrive first at B&F on the day, so anyone arriving earlier please do take charge!
Julian and Martin to save the day instead, hurrah!

jdaw1 wrote:Current version of the placemats; pictures in the first post.

• Who is bringing the Mackenzie?
• Who is bringing the Sandeman single?

I'm bringing the Sandeman single (& Warre).

For me please:

Lunch:
- Smoked Salmon
- Lemon and herb Chicken schnitzel, + Chimichurri broccoli

Dinner:
- (no starter)
- Davy's British Beef Burger
- Lemon tart

Cheers.

Hi Christopher My available list is still the same per the March PM. Simplest solutions would seem to be: - I bring the Warre per your request on Sunday, if Tony has the RP available (he mentioned he might have in a previous post), or - I bring the Martinez, rather than Charles bringing it as a seco...

CPR 1 wrote: ↑16:02 Wed 11 Jun 2025 put me down for the Mz as well

I've also previously offered Sandeman, Martinez, Warre and others; Christopher has very recently asked me to bring Warre.
First post might be pending update and/or not reflect all that has been offered privately.

10 x Noval 70 7 x Foz 70 2 x Smith Woodhouse 70 That's an excellent haul, Neil. The Calem Quinta da Foz are rare as hen's teeth over here in the U.S. and to score 7 of them is really nice. I'm curious how it will show at the '70's horizontal in October. Of course the Noval and SW will be very tasty...

I will however bring a measuring tape and woe betide any short servers. So less than a half would be punished — and quite rightly. Are long servings also to be punished? As far as I can tell the theme seems to deem to be acceptable anything which meets the criteria of "at least a half-bottle o...

jdaw1 wrote:
Alex Bridgeman wrote: ↑21:28 Mon 26 May 2025But I’ve never had the chance to do a side-by-side comparison like you’re doing tomorrow.
You were at the horizontal of 1985s in Nov 2015 (and even posted TNs such as for Cálem); and at the {1980, ’85, ’85} × {D, W, G, F, T} with Jancis in March 2017 (e.g. TN, Fonseca).

Evening Derek

jdaw1 wrote:
Justin K wrote: ↑13:21 Mon 26 May 2025
jdaw1 wrote: ↑18:38 Sun 25 May 2025Provisionally, yes. Is there a theme?
Yes, bring a half bottle(s)[emoji4]
Seriously? What is this peculiar folly?

(edited to remove my unnecessary comment).

Sadly unable to join for Jun 3rd.

Popes must be born in a year declared by Graham’s. Were you suggesting a tasting to which we would invite the Archbishop of Westminster ? Wonder if he does actually know the Bishop of Norwich? The Bishop of Norwich has attended a tasting . To be fair, that was the previous Bishop of Norwich - the R...

or I can post the one from the VPID if that would help (and yes, same company):

Search found 3709 matches