Cellar Defenders

[Alex Bridgeman]

In a recent thread, there was made mention of bottles acting as "cellar defenders" - bottles which are intended to be sacrificed to protect other bottles that are more likely to benefit from further bottle age.

What do you have as cellar defenders? Do you actually go out of your way to buy cellar defenders or do you just look at your stock list and mentally assign some bottles to act as cellar defenders?

Alex

[DRT]

I buy Cellar Defenders intentionally. Examples are Morgan 1991 and Warre Bottle Matured LBVs. Both of these would no doubt benefit from further aging but at the price I have bought them I am able to execute them without any guilt whatsoever, especially as I have placed numerous cases of both in storage for drinking in future years.

I will also pick-up Reserve and LBV ports in supermarket deals, normally at 50% off, for the same purpose but do not store any of these. Taking the Cellar Defender analogy a little further, these can be considered to be the Irish or Scots Regiments, otherwise known as Canon Fodder

[KillerB]

I do this more with wine than Port, as I have a lot of lower level Bordeaux to help out, but with Port I have some Morgan 1991, some Single Quintas and even the odd tawny that are there to stop the use of more valued assets.

[Glenn E.]

My cellar defenders are what I call my daily drinkers - typically a couple of bottles of 20-yr old tawny and a couple of half bottles of some good ruby reserves. As long as I have a couple of each around, my cellar is reasonably safe.

I have reached the point where my cellar is full, though, so I do now need to start drinking out of it in order to have room for more. Not everything in my cellar is really worth storing properly for the long term (4 x 1994 Delaforce Colheita come immediately to mind), so one of the first things I need to do is re-arrange things so that the good stuff is actually in the fridge and the lesser quality bottles are just sitting in the study.

[Portman]

For me a cellar defender is a wine that 1) is cheap enough to have a quantity on hand or 2) ready to drink. For my modest port collection I like to find ports from 1995 and earlier (excluding 1994) so that I always have at least a few that I can drink without guilt. Currently that means a few bottles of 1992 Vesuvio, the 95 SW I just bought, and a couple assorted F95 and Noval 1985s.

The cellar defender keeps your hands off the wines that are too young to drink or that you are saving for a special occasion. I remember opening a Leoville Barton Bordeaux too early and it was like chewing on Prince Charles' used riding breeches. It was well made wine that will be great some day, but completely wasted because its massive tannins were harsh and unresolved by time in bottle. No offense to Prince Charles, by the way.

A cellar defender does not have to be cheap, however. If you are holding bottles of 85 Fonseca and 94 Fonseca, the 85s become your cellar defenders. You can drink them without the guilt that one would incur by committing infanticide on the 1994. What is your worst death of a young wine before its time?

[SushiNorth]

those 1980 Gould Campbells are cellar defenders as much as they are "daily drinking." In addition, there is a substantial quantity of 83 & 85 smith woodhouse, and some 88 Vargellas halfs.

A cellar defender does not have to be cheap, however. If you are holding bottles of 85 Fonseca and 94 Fonseca, the 85s become your cellar defenders. You can drink them without the guilt that one would incur by committing infanticide on the 1994. What is your worst death of a young wine before its time?

Where's Julian? "F85: Why am I drinking this now?"

[g-man]

A cellar defender does not have to be cheap, however. If you are holding bottles of 85 Fonseca and 94 Fonseca, the 85s become your cellar defenders. You can drink them without the guilt that one would incur by committing infanticide on the 1994. What is your worst death of a young wine before its time?

f85?!??! We're going to have to goto Schneiders in DC so we don't insult the port gods by committing infanticide to the F85!

[g-man]

rozes 94 LBV I think is going to be my cellar defender from now on.

Will have to go and buy a case or two what a lovely port after 3 days opened

[Alex Bridgeman]

My cellar defenders comprise a mix of different things. Currently, I have about 8 bottles of port which I bought either privately from a house clearance or from shops clearing out old stock where I bought the bottles cheaply but they are ullaged down to or below low shoulder. These need to be drunk up and sometimes are enjoyable, sometimes drinkable and sometimes get tasted and poured down the sink.

After those, I have my second line defenders. These are the cheaper bottles which are intended to be drunk to protect the other bottles and which are easily replaced. These would be things like Noval LBV (which would be even better in the future with some extra bottle age if only I could keep my hands off them), single Quinta ports which drink nicely now (eg the 1995 Roeda) and the current(ish) release of Fonseca's Crusted port.

Once those have all gone I have a problem!

[g-man]

My cellar defenders comprise a mix of different things. Currently, I have about 8 bottles of port which I bought either privately from a house clearance or from shops clearing out old stock where I bought the bottles cheaply but they are ullaged down to or below low shoulder. These need to be drunk up and sometimes are enjoyable, sometimes drinkable and sometimes get tasted and poured down the sink.

After those, I have my second line defenders. These are the cheaper bottles which are intended to be drunk to protect the other bottles and which are easily replaced. These would be things like Noval LBV (which would be even better in the future with some extra bottle age if only I could keep my hands off them), single Quinta ports which drink nicely now (eg the 1995 Roeda) and the current(ish) release of Fonseca's Crusted port.

Once those have all gone I have a problem!

that's one thing I surely miss, the crusted ports of the big houses. I have yet to come across a single crusted port in the states.

[SushiNorth]

My cellar defenders comprise a mix of different things. Currently, I have about 8 bottles of port which I bought either privately from a house clearance or from shops clearing out old stock where I bought the bottles cheaply but they are ullaged down to or below low shoulder.

that's one thing I surely miss, the crusted ports of the big houses. I have yet to come across a single crusted port in the states.

One other thing I miss -- old bottles from old cellars. I've started to keep my eye on estate sales for hints there are a few bottles about, but it's not methodic yet.

[mosesbotbol]

My cellar defender is the liquor store.

[RonnieRoots]

Moving to another country and leaving your ports behind in storage. That's my cellar defender and it works great.

Seriously: we do have some Noval LBV, Smith Woodhouse LBV and Cavadinha VP around for casual drinking. Very nice ports without feeling the need to have a special occasion.

[nac]

Thought it might be interesting to resurrect this old thread and see what we're using at the moment to protect our more precious bottles?

Having recently purchased three bottles of the Lustau East India Solera sherry - and subsequently discovered I still had two left from a previous similar purchase - am now keeping one of these in the fridge in a defensive role.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've just finished a 50cl bottle of Churchill 20YO tawny, which made an excellent and delicious cellar defender - but is now gone, leaving the cellar vulnerable...

[rich_n]

I’ve been building a stock of unfiltered LBVs to act as defenders, I’m currently adding Late Bottled Vintages of Sandeman 2015 to small stocks of Taylor 2014 and 2015 and Graham 2012. I have some Noval and Quevedo on the way but I forget which, I believe it may be the 2013 of both. I’m trying to build decent numbers of these to experiment with aging them and seeing how well they fare vs the “lesser” VPs.

I have a small collection of tawny as well, but all 10yo at the moment.

Does my craft beer selection (running to a couple of hundred bottles and cans) count as cellar defence? It certainly slows down my port consumption!

[JacobH]

I’ve been building a stock of unfiltered LBVs to act as defenders, I’m currently adding Late Bottled Vintages of Sandeman 2015 to small stocks of Taylor 2014 and 2015 and Graham 2012. I have some Noval and Quevedo on the way but I forget which, I believe it may be the 2013 of both. I’m trying to build decent numbers of these to experiment with aging them and seeing how well they fare vs the “lesser” VPs.

I did the same for years with the Taylors and Grahams, although since I am trying to re-frame my drinking into quality rather than quantity, I’ve been moving towards cheaper SQVPs instead. This only partially works since I still feel guilty every time I commit infanticide on one.

Incidentally, my experience is that the unfiltered ones age and, depending on how aged you like your Port, can age well but there is no comparison with a SQVP or even a lesser VP.

[rich_n]

I’ve been building a stock of unfiltered LBVs to act as defenders, I’m currently adding Late Bottled Vintages of Sandeman 2015 to small stocks of Taylor 2014 and 2015 and Graham 2012. I have some Noval and Quevedo on the way but I forget which, I believe it may be the 2013 of both. I’m trying to build decent numbers of these to experiment with aging them and seeing how well they fare vs the “lesser” VPs.

I did the same for years with the Taylors and Grahams, although since I am trying to re-frame my drinking into quality rather than quantity, I’ve been moving towards cheaper SQVPs instead. This only partially works since I still feel guilty every time I commit infanticide on one.

Incidentally, my experience is that the unfiltered ones age and, depending on how aged you like your Port, can age well but there is no comparison with a SQVP or even a lesser VP.

That’s interesting to hear, I’ve not been acquiring them long enough to experience that for myself. There are definitely arguments either way on the Internet (as with every subject) and I’ve seen the Warre LBVs get very positive comments based on up to 30 years of aging. I’ve also been trying to acquire more SQVP for the same purposes but I’m also trying to put some age on those (I have CQdR 2012 and DQdSR 2015 and I’m trying to prevent myself from cracking into those cases!). I’m also investing my limited budget into some older SQVP as well.

[JacobH]

That’s interesting to hear, I’ve not been acquiring them long enough to experience that for myself. There are definitely arguments either way on the Internet (as with every subject) and I’ve seen the Warre LBVs get very positive comments based on up to 30 years of aging. I’ve also been trying to acquire more SQVP for the same purposes but I’m also trying to put some age on those (I have CQdR 2012 and DQdSR 2015 and I’m trying to prevent myself from cracking into those cases!). I’m also investing my limited budget into some older SQVP as well.

Back in 2011 we tested some unfiltered LBVs back to the very first: the 1965 Taylor. This suggested that aging them for 45 years was unwise! However, between 15 and 30 years seemed to work well but then I quite like wines which others might regard as tired.

[rich_n]

Back in 2011 we tested some unfiltered LBVs back to the very first: the 1965 Taylor. This suggested that aging them for 45 years was unwise! However, between 15 and 30 years seemed to work well but then I quite like wines which others might regard as tired.

I’m definitely interested in trying to find that sweet spot. I agree that in my experience that I’ve not had an LBV that competes with VPs, but my experience is very limited and I haven’t had any unfiltered LBVs that have been in bottles more than a couple of years. I haven’t opened the Sandeman 2015 LBV yet but I plan to have enough bottles to taste one of those every couple of years for the next 15-20 to see how they evolve. I had planned on doing the same with the Warre 2007 LBV but the general consensus is that it isn’t as good a wine as the previous few so I might hold off until their next top end LBV emerges.

[winesecretary]

Cellar defenders are a good and necessary thing, and I find particularly help prevent midweek port infanticide when one wants just a glass or two of something rich. They are often things I buy to make up an order from somewhere up to the minimum for free delivery or (like the fabled Croft 2004 LBV at £3 a pop) when they are at clear-out prices in a supermarket. Currently awaiting execution:

1995 Reccua LBV- a little elderly but pleasant
2014 Niepoort LBV
2015 Niepoort LBV

I like crusted ports but find myself without any ready to drink in the cellar defender category at the moment.

I buy quite a lot of SQVP in halves- they seem to get lost on merchants' lists sometimes and work out sensibly priced.

1996 TV
1998 TV
2001 FQdP
2001 GM
2005 CrR

And, I snatch up well-priced bottles of SQVP when offered

2001 Warre QdC
2004 Warre QdC
2005 GM

My other cellar defender is, however, halves of Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 2014, available from the Wine Society at a sensible price and perfect to pop and pour with the cheese course.

There was a thread a few years back about which LBVs benefitted from cellaring http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10842 from which I derived the conclusion that the Sogrape LBVs were the ones to look for.

[JacobH]

It occurs to me that the other reason I don’t drink as much unfiltered LBV these days is that I now use a coravin a lot more. This means that if I fancy a glass of Port but don’t have enough time to drink the full bottle over the next couple of days, I no longer feel a need to open a LBV just in case I don’t get to finish it before it starts to go downhill.

[g-man]

One could theoretically begin opening some 2011 VPs for the same purpose =)

I've found my cellar defenders to be the 90s Vesuvio nowadays.

[John M]

My cellar defenders comprise a mix of different things. Currently, I have about 8 bottles of port which I bought either privately from a house clearance or from shops clearing out old stock where I bought the bottles cheaply but they are ullaged down to or below low shoulder. These need to be drunk up and sometimes are enjoyable, sometimes drinkable and sometimes get tasted and poured down the sink.

After those, I have my second line defenders. These are the cheaper bottles which are intended to be drunk to protect the other bottles and which are easily replaced. These would be things like Noval LBV (which would be even better in the future with some extra bottle age if only I could keep my hands off them), single Quinta ports which drink nicely now (eg the 1995 Roeda) and the current(ish) release of Fonseca's Crusted port.

Once those have all gone I have a problem!

that's one thing I surely miss, the crusted ports of the big houses. I have yet to come across a single crusted port in the states.

G-Man

I have several Crusted inlcuding Quevedo I got in Pennsylvania and some Dows. Oscar didn't give you any??

I usually get a case of Q. do Crasto LBVs as primary cellar defenders--not expensive at all and very good., plus other assorted LBVs.

[g-man]

A deep dive post from 11 years ago =) I have since shored up my port collection!