A birthday tasting 2011 - 4th April 2011

[Alex Bridgeman]

A place holder for offered vintages...

Edit 18th January:

We have offered so far:

Fonseca: 1960,1963,1966,1970,1977,1980,1985,1992,1997,2000
Fonseca Guimaraens: 1942 (poss),1962 (poss),1965,1968,1972,1976,1978,1984,1986,1988,1991,1996

A vague plan is emerging to focus on the FG and intersperse them with occasional Fonseca, as we did with the Grahams / Malvedos tasting in 2010.

A line-up of 1942, 1962, 1963, 1965, 9168, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988 would give us a good range of mature vintages with each vintage of Fonseca separated by at least 2 vintages of Guimaraens. If it was felt that 12 bottles was insufficient refreshment for 14 grown men and women then we could have an after dinner flight of "bring a bottle to share" as we did at the '66 vs '67 tasting.

[jdaw1]

Could we include all the FGs, including ’78, ’91 and ’96?

And are we really refusing F66?

[DRT]

Fonseca: 1960,1963,1966,1970,1977,1980,1985,1992,1997,2000
Fonseca Guimaraens: 1942 (poss),1962 (poss),1965,1968,1972,1976,1978,1984,1986,1988,1991,1996

The following FG vintages are now also available: 1933, 1957, 1961, 1967, 1982 & 1987.

I think the focus of this tasting is Fonseca Guimaraens rather than the full-blown Fonseca declared vintages so, like jdaw1, would suggest that we include all of the FG vintages we have available. At this point we have 18 FGs and 10 Fs. Cost is also a consideration here so I think the appropriate way forward is for some sums to be done behind the scenes and then a proposed line-up and cost circulated to the participants by email/PM to agree on a final line-up.

Derek

[jdaw1]

Updated draft of placemats.

• +Lots of bottles, and ”“None. Hence this is looking a lot less thirsty than the first draft.

This will need splitting into two sessions, entailing the usual argument about order.

• Oldest first, as they are more delicate and easily overwhelmed by the youngsters.
• Youngest in first session so they can be spat, this wastage not happening to the older and rarer bottles in the second session.

[JacobH]

I wouldn't mind jettisoning the post 1990 Guimaraens, on the basis that we are not trying to make this complete tasting, up to 2008, and those are likely just to be very dark and immature. Ditto for the 1985 Fonseca. I'd also note that one of the reasons we started including Graham's VP in the Malvedos blend was to flesh out a tasting that looked slightly thing until the Symington's very generously intervened. It may be that we don't really need to flesh out this tasting that much.

[jdaw1]

The largest tasting yet was the 1970 Horizontal in January 2009, weighing in at 35 bottles. The updated draft of placemats has 32 bottles: four more and we can set a new record. Surely we can’t refuse an opportunity like that. We need:

• Fonseca 2007, 2003, 1994, 1983, 1975 (yes, I know), 1955, 1948, 1945, !
• Fonseca Guimaraens 1998, 1974, 1964, 1958, !

[Alex Bridgeman]

The largest tasting yet was the 1970 Horizontal in January 2009, weighing in at 35 bottles. The updated draft of placemats has 32 bottles: four more and we can set a new record. Surely we can’t refuse an opportunity like that. We need:

• Fonseca 2007, 2003, 1994, 1983, 1975 (yes, I know), 1955, 1948, 1945, !
• Fonseca Guimaraens 1998, 1974, 1964, 1958, !

But when we have a massive tasting, I find that after the first dozen or so, I stop enjoying the ports and simply become very analytical. I can cope with around 2 dozen in two flights - but 35 ports I find exceedingly hard work and not wholly pleasurable. My vote would be to have this as a tasting which focused on mature (21+ years of age) vintages and of Fonseca Guimaraens if we have enough different vintages not to need to pad the line-up out with extra bottles of Fonseca.

[jdaw1]

I can cope with around 2 dozen in two flights

Three dozen in three? Morning, afternoon, evening?

For that 1970 Horizontal I arrived on the red-eye, so the start time of 13:30 was 08:30 for me. Let’s be a little slower, starting at 10:30.

[benread]

My preference would be to keep this at a level weher we can start after work as it will cause some people difficulty in attending if we start in the afternoon. I can cope with quite a lot on an evening though.

[WS1]

Hi,

I am also against such an increased lineup and also propose to limit ourselfs to 24 or so bts. I am sure we will eventually break the previous record of 35 ports ( Axel and I did not intend to set any record when thinking about a 1970 horicontal tasting; when I had ~ 20 different ones at home and we started putting the tasting together it eventually lead to this mammoth tasting; I admit I was also keen to get it to this number since J. Suckling claims to have tasted over his lifetime 35 different vintage ports from 1970; I liked the idea we can do this in an evening )
The main reason for me against it is the amount of work it involves; when ever we do a mamoth tasting it cost essentially 2-3 people a whole day to get everything organised. I had a lot of sympathy with Derek last time for the Malvedos tasting. On top I think it did not help the effort got bigger during the set up of the tasting; in short he should have not got carried away by the completeness idea
Furthermore this will be a tasting during/beginning of the week; we all have to do work the next day.

regards

WS1

[jdaw1]

My preference would be to keep this at a level weher we can start after work as it will cause some people difficulty in attending if we start in the afternoon. I can cope with quite a lot on an evening though.

The Birthday Boy’s Word is Law! (Alas.)

After works means people arrive by 7ish? That imposes an upper limit of two sessions of about ≈10 each. Perhaps FG ’33 ’42 ’57 ’61 ’62 ’65 ’67 ’68 ’72 ’76 ’78 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’87 ’88 ’91, that being seventeen, and three Fonsecas?

[Deleted_User_1]

As one of the birthday boys I am especially sad to announce that I shall not be able to attend on 4th April.

[marc j.]

Could I please be added to the waiting list for this tasting? Thanks!


Marc

[benread]

Attendance list updated.

[DRT]

Gentlemen, start your engines...

Fonseca Guimaraens 1933, 57, 61, 65, 67, 78, 82, 87, 95, 98, 2001, 04 & 05 reporting for duty!

Capture_00002.JPG (169.49 KiB) Viewed 5835 times

[benread]

Where is the smiley for "licking my lips"?!

[jdaw1]

The labels look new. Are they?

[DRT]

The labels look new. Are they?

Yes.

[Andy Velebil]

Where is the smiley for "licking my lips"?!

+1

[g-man]

sniff, this makes me sad that I don't live in the uk =(

[Axel P]

Ben,

could you please post the final lineup?

Thanks

Axel

[DRT]

The line-up currently looks like this:

1933
1942
1957
1961
1965
1967
1968
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1986
1987
1988
1991
1995
1996
1998
2001
2004
2005

Derek

[Axel P]

Thanks, Derek, no classic vintages?

Dont get me wrong. This is a fabulous lineup, much harder to organise than one with the classic Fonsecas, but I do believe it would be nice to have at least like two or three classic in between for reference reasons.

Axel

[DRT]

Thanks, Derek, no classic vintages?

Dont get me wrong. This is a fabulous lineup, much harder to organise than one with the classic Fonsecas, but I do believe it would be nice to have at least like two or three classic in between for reference reasons.

Axel

Behind the scenes negotiation ongoing

[jdaw1]

for reference reasons.

A fantastic excuse for drinking more port.