Perhaps consider for beyond 2020?
Dow vertical (MPM)
Taylor vs Fonseca mini vertical (MPM)
An NV (i.e. not colheita port) 40-year-old tawny tasting (GEAG)
A 1950 horizontal tasting (GEAG)
1980, 1983 and 1985 Matrix (AHB)
'63, '66, '70 Matrix tasting (CMAG)
SW Vertical (IDJ)
Dutch/Belgian VP bottlings, perhaps held in NL
97@25 sometime in 2022 (NAC)
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Following this observation
winesecretary wrote: ↑18:44 Wed 11 Dec 2019
There are several more tastings in my mind for the next couple of years...
I thought it would be useful to have a place to list ideas. I'l start with a few, and as others suggest, I'll extend the list accordingly. Names in brackets are who made the suggestion, which need not be the ultimate organiser.
Last edited by flash_uk on 20:28 Sun 26 Jan 2020, edited 5 times in total.
In making suggestions I have also considered what I have that I could bring, which is premature but sensible.
- A 'port I own for which there isn't a tasting note on the tasting notes list' tasting.
This would be likely to produce some cheerfully bad ports but maybe also a few gems. I have a Sainsbury's (Quinta Dona Matilde) 1985, which might well be in the former category...
- An NV (i.e. not colheita port) 40-year-old tawny tasting
There are circa 22 on the market that I am aware of, so we could do a fairly representative selection quite easily. I only have Andresen and Taylors immediately to hand, but I am in the process of stocking up on some of the more obscure releases.
- It's been, I think, 12 years since there was a broad 1980 tasting
...to go with the below-suggested 1950 horizontal tasting, uncle tom's 1960 birthday tasting, the 1970 tasting... from 1980 I only have G and D (plus GC in halves).
- A 1950 horizontal tasting
Although for jdaw1's tastes the ship may have sailed on these, I imagine AHB might enjoy it. But I was in two minds about whether to suggest it. It may be that the view is that wines of this age are best drunk as single bottles on their own, rather than compared and contrasted. It would also be a fairly limited event- I am aware only of 9 VPs (Ck, Cr, OBV, N, S, SW, TH, D, RP) plus the TSQ- and also these seem to have become really rather expensive while I wasn't looking. I only have a solitary bottle of D (for which, I also note, there isn't a tasting note on the tasting notes list).
- jdaw1 suggested a madeira tasting. One for possible further discussion. Madeira is/was my primary vinous interest but, after all, this is a port forum. Also, to do it in a way that was interesting and informative would make it a fairly expensive adoption process.
I have all the wines in my own cellar to do a double/triple run of the major grapes (Sercial Verdelho Bual Malmsey Terrantez) in a way that would also illustrate the various styles available, plus examples of bar steward*, Moscatel, and Listrao (the latter is a variety grown only on Porto Santo). I drank my last old bottle of fortified Verdelho from Pico (in the Azores) twenty years ago, but it wasn't in truth very good so I am not worried about excluding that...
- As for the 1992 horizontal tasting jdaw1 is planning to arrange - like CSD, I'm also available that day...
* The filter does not accept the name of the grape, but you can probably work it out
The first tasting I organised - back in 2005 - was a matrix tasting where we drank and compared wines from Fonseca, Graham, Sandeman and Taylor from each of the vintages of 1963, 1966 and 1970. That was 15 years ago. The wines at that time were 42, 39 and 35 years of age.
I'd like to do something similar in 2020 - a matrix tasting of wines of roughly the same age. I have in mind a matrix tasting of 1980, 1983 and 1985 the wines from Warre, Graham, Taylor and Fonseca. We keep debating about whether the 1980s are a decade to be overlooked. This should help us come to a conclusion.
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
AHB wrote: ↑20:09 Sun 15 Dec 2019I'd like to do something similar in 2020 - a matrix tasting of wines of roughly the same age. I have in mind a matrix tasting of 1980, 1983 and 1985 the wines from Warre, Graham, Taylor and Fonseca. We keep debating about whether the 1980s are a decade to be overlooked. This should help us come to a conclusion.
I quite fancy (and I think that it has been mentioned before) a BBR vertical and I wonder if I may be able to get someone from the family to attend if I do.
Always wanted to do a SW vertical as well although conscious of the scarcity of older bottles.
idj123 wrote: ↑18:34 Mon 16 Dec 2019I quite fancy (and I think that it has been mentioned before) a BBR vertical and I wonder if I may be able to get someone from the family to attend if I do.
Yes please.
idj123 wrote: ↑18:34 Mon 16 Dec 2019Always wanted to do a SW vertical as well although conscious of the scarcity of older bottles.
- An SW vertical (say to 1997 or 2000) would be a splendid idea. It's not been done. And of the wines that I have had, I like them all. But as idj123 correctly points out, the 1960s and earlier wines are rare.
Is there any interest in an occasional non-port tasting/dinner?
Whilst I potentially run the risk of being branded a heretic for even suggesting this within these hallowed pages, I think there may be an appetite.
For example, I can offer up a vertical of the Bonneau du Martray Corton and Corton-Charlemagne, which at least one other correspondent might fancy (based on the Festive Drinking thread). Other possibilities immediately springing to mind are Napanook/Dominus, Musar, Hermitage la Chapelle, Flor de Pingus, Vega Sicilia,...
nac wrote: ↑08:54 Mon 30 Dec 2019
Is there any interest in an occasional non-port tasting/dinner?
I'd be up for something non port. I think the challenge though, will be finding a wine that enough people here hold, to make a tasting viable. Of course if someone alone had a deep vertical of Pétrus that they want to lay on at a nice price, I'll be there!
nac wrote: ↑08:54 Mon 30 Dec 2019
Is there any interest in an occasional non-port tasting/dinner?
I'd be up for something non port. I think the challenge though, will be finding a wine that enough people here hold, to make a tasting viable. Of course if someone alone had a deep vertical of Pétrus that they want to lay on at a nice price, I'll be there!
For the examples I quoted I'd be able to supply verticals for a tasting/dinner for max 6-8 heads.
I'll check exactly what I've got & suggest a couple of options.
forest26 wrote: ↑08:19 Tue 14 Jan 2020A kopke vertical would be an interesting event. I have a few vintages (but never enough). I would be happy to organise if enough interest.
Christopher wrote: ↑12:57 Mon 16 Dec 2019I would rather like to do the Matrix tasting of 2005 again. Would be great to compare 63,66 and 70.
Of 2005? Pre-TPF, and pre my meeting any of you. Please say more.
In early October 2005 there was a tasting at The Crusting Pipe where a group of like-minded souls from both sides of the Atlantic tasted Dow, Fonseca, Taylor and Sandeman 1963, 1966 and 1970. From memory the attendees were Alex B, Alex K, Christopher, Nick, Nicos, Linden, Roy, Mario, Andy, Stewart, myself and Jo.
All of the Ports were terrible. You would have hated it. We should do it again.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Potentially including some different shippers for the same vintage.
I'd be happy to organise this one if it was of interest...
I would love to do a full Warre vertical.
I believe this year is Warre's 350th anniversary. It would seem a good year to do a Warre vertical - although we might struggle to make it a full vertical with every vintage going back to 1670. We could make our lives easier by only going back to 1729 when the company became named "Warre".
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
AHB wrote: ↑11:41 Mon 20 Jan 2020
I believe this year is Warre's 350th anniversary. It would seem a good year to do a Warre vertical - although we might struggle to make it a full vertical with every vintage going back to 1670. We could make our lives easier by only going back to 1729 when the company became named "Warre".
As a starter how about going for pre-1990 vintages?
Suspect that as a group we'll be able to offer up a fairly deep selection.
Who's the best contact at B&F to check room availability? Once I've got some date options I'll open up the list...
nac wrote: ↑13:52 Mon 20 Jan 2020
Who's the best contact at B&F to check room availability? Once I've got some date options I'll open up the list...
I usually just dial the main number and say I'd like to check a date for a Port Forum booking. Invariably it's one of the managers or shift supervisors that picks up. Best to call between 3 and 5 when the lunchtime rush has passed.
nac wrote: ↑14:37 Sat 22 Feb 2020
Having recently enjoyed a couple of 97s (W and GC - which was particularly fine), think that a 97@25 tasting should go onto the list for 2022.
nac wrote: ↑14:37 Sat 22 Feb 2020
Having recently enjoyed a couple of 97s (W and GC - which was particularly fine), think that a 97@25 tasting should go onto the list for 2022.
I'll volunteer to organise.
List updated.
Might it be useful to include dates (where known) on the list?
Alternatively could the "Organising..." thread have a pinned item listing all the arranged events?
forest26 wrote: ↑18:45 Wed 11 Mar 2020
Port legends - Iconic ports of the 20th C (or even 19th). E.g. Ck12, Cr45, T48, N31, F66, F27 etc. Small gathering... perhaps 8 max??
forest26 wrote: ↑18:45 Wed 11 Mar 2020Port legends - Iconic ports of the 20th C (or even 19th). E.g. Ck12, Cr45, T48, N31, F66, F27 etc. Small gathering... perhaps 8 max??
Not that this is the best time to try and organise it for obvious reasons, but just to record it while I think of it: I think it would be very interesting to do an '03 vs '05 tasting at some point. I realise that '03 is the generally accepted best year, but have been very impressed with several '05s; it may well be that they are earlier maturing, but at least for those/some of the producers who did release an '05 I think it would be an interesting comparison, both now-ish and in another 5/10 years time.
As I pack my suitcase with port from the cellar to bring back to town, I contemplate with pleasure the well-stocked diary of tastings for the next three months.
BBR - 22/9/20
VE Day - 28/9/20
1970 (3rd tranche) - 8/10/20
1970 (1st and 2nd tranches) - 9/10/20
Warre Sesq. - 20/10/20
No Tasting Note - 12/11/20
1980 - 24/11/20
While I am making sure I have the materiel I am contributing immediately to hand, perhaps we should ask the organisers in each case to confirm that these are expected to take place.
NAC has already done so for the VE Day. NAC, what's the view on the Warre Sesq? I fully intend for the no-tasting-note and 1980 to take place. The BBR is quite soon and AHB has already asked the question on that one. What's the view on the 1970 ones? They involve quite a few non-UK people.
Just thought that as I have a couple of leakers in my cellar that that would make for a good online tasting because if it(they) are not drinkable only one person suffers! I’m assuming most of us have a couple.
winesecretary wrote: ↑13:45 Mon 31 Aug 2020
NAC has already done so for the VE Day. NAC, what's the view on the Warre Sesq? I fully intend for the no-tasting-note and 1980 to take place. The BBR is quite soon and AHB has already asked the question on that one. What's the view on the 1970 ones? They involve quite a few non-UK people.
VE Day tasting on 28/9 currently proceeding as planned, but have decided to postpone Warre 350. Individual threads have been updated.
