NV Asda Reserve Port

[jdaw1]

Asda, “Reserve Port”, “crafted by our master of wine”, “Bottled by Symington Family Estates Vinhos, S.A., Portugal”; “Rich, full and bursting with warming spice and fruit flavours, from Portugal’s Douro region”; “Selected for Asda”; “75cl”; “alc 20% vol”.

£3.98 per bottle.

Yes, duty plus the VAT on the duty is £3.58. Yes, illegal in Scotland as below minimum per-unit pricing floor.

£3.98 per bottle.

Half an hour ago the entire stock of Asda Battersea was four bottles.

Dark red at centre, pink at rim, 60% opaque. Nose showing red plums, sweetness, and a mid-weight ruby-style Port that could easily be an LBV. Palate has grit, the same red plums, good size, some heat the end, and very good length. This is very drinkable indeed.

Advice: buy it all. No, one wouldn’t confuse this with a perfectly-stored Warre 1970, but nor would the bank balance.

Edit:

[MigSU]

£3.98 per bottle. Ridiculous.

I have a serious gripe with Port being sold at prices like that.

[Alex Bridgeman]

£3.98 per bottle. Ridiculous.

I have a serious gripe with Port being sold at prices like that.

As, I have no doubt, would Symington Family Estates. Honestly, a price like this completely undermines the perception of Port being a premium product.

[MigSU]

£3.98 per bottle. Ridiculous.

I have a serious gripe with Port being sold at prices like that.

As, I have no doubt, would Symington Family Estates. Honestly, a price like this completely undermines the perception of Port being a premium product.

It's a double problem. Not only, as you say, does it undermine Port's status as a premium product, but it also makes life very difficult for Douro Valley's grape farmers. As you can imagine, when a company sells its ports at a low price, they also buy grapes at a low price. Grape production costs in the Douro are high, so farmers have to get a fair price for their grapes. Low wine prices don't help anyone.

[Andy Velebil]

Wow that’s a crazy price. And one I’m not happy about...

[winesecretary]

I notice it was all gone, even online, in a matter of minutes (not to me, although I did track it).

If Asda want to sell port they formerly sold for £8.30 as a loss leader at £3.98, is there any reason (barring, as in Scotland, a legal prohibition) why they shouldn't? [They aren't selling it below the cost of the duty plus VAT, which would be unlawful in England too.] It will have been a genuine loss leader i.e. they will have paid more for it than they are selling it at, and they are not alone in doing that with port (do we really think the M&S 2007 and 2011 only cost them the £6 we all paid for it?)

But, more generally, I would argue that not all port can be a premium product. There has to be a basic product for there to be a premium from. VP, SQVP, Colheita, Tawnies WAIOA, Crusted, and LBV are, at differing levels, premium products.

[MigSU]

I notice it was all gone, even online, in a matter of minutes (not to me, although I did track it).

If Asda want to sell port they formerly sold for £8.30 as a loss leader at £3.98, is there any reason (barring, as in Scotland, a legal prohibition) why they shouldn't? [They aren't selling it below the cost of the duty plus VAT, which would be unlawful in England too.] It will have been a genuine loss leader i.e. they will have paid more for it than they are selling it at, and they are not alone in doing that with port (do we really think the M&S 2007 and 2011 only cost them the £6 we all paid for it?)

But, more generally, I would argue that not all port can be a premium product. There has to be a basic product for there to be a premium from. VP, SQVP, Colheita, Tawnies WAIOA, Crusted, and LBV are, at differing levels, premium products.

My point was not so much about the Asda's and the M&S's of the world (although they too bear some guilt), but more about the SFE's and TFP's (and, to a point, every Port producer that purchases grapes). Low wine prices means low grape prices. This, coupled with high production costs (which can't be avoided in the majority of the Douro) and a string of low production years (which, funnily enough, hasn't been reflected on grape prices), is squeezing small and medium growers' profit margins, to the point that many are now doing the bare minimum to make sure they get a big enough harvest to fill their 'benefício' quotas. Others are finally giving up and selling their land to the big Port houses (this 'consolidation' has been going on for a while).
This is not good for the region overall.

[winesecretary]

@ MigSU - ah, I see your (wider-spectrum) point now, and appreciate and acknowledge it. Diversity is good for its own sake, I agree.

[jdaw1]

Asda Battersea was visited today, none being for sale. Reports suggest a shelf rearrangement, so those four might be the last of them.

[MigSU]

Probably a clear-out of remaining stock.

[uncle tom]

Why are there no Asda stores near me...

[WS1]

Why are there no Asda stores near me...

Maybe you should go online....



regards

WS1

[MigSU]

https://groceries.asda.com/product/port ... ort/460669

[Screagle]

This seems more like a "reduced to clear" than a "special offer" where the price will revert e.g. the recent Graham's LBV promotion. Often retailers and suppliers will agree a promotion but in this case it appears to be no longer ranged so the supplier won't have a say.

Also in the fortified category ASDA look to be clearing their BOB Manzanilla - an absolute steal at £2.98 as it is from the same producer as La Guita. ASDA was bought from Walmart by the Issa brothers earlier this year so we may see further erosion of their fortified range. Anyway I managed to find a full range store in the Midlands with stocks of both so a lucky relative will be receiving my stash this evening as there's nothing in the North London depot.

Felicidades

[WS1]

Got my hands on 3 bts today. ASDA kindly substituted the initial order quantity down. But they were very nice and all went smoothly at click&collect.
JDAW1's assessment is correct. Not a great port but at 3.98£ you cannot go wrong. You notice the watery port apperance when it is running down the glass and the quite thick watery rim in the glass. It is rather a skinny port. Still "quaffable" and pleasant to drink.
Generally I think for a little more money compared to the initial set price of 8£s for the NV Asda Reserve Port there are quite a few more preferable alternatives most notably the e.g. Cockburns Special reserve. Compared to the previous dumped down in price offer of a halve of Croft unfiltered LBV 04 at 3.29£ a half the NV Asda Reserve Port is IMHO clearly weaker.

regards

WS1