Bring a Bottle, Tue 18 Nov 2025

[jdaw1]

Ben P. arranged a Bring a Bottle event, sighted, at the Boot & Flogger. And what an evening it was.


Links:

• Review of the event as a whole;
• Tasting notes:
  • 1927 Dow, Raby Castle (CEM);
  • 1934 Fonseca, Raby Castle (CEM);
  • 1948 Taylor, Raby Castle (CEM);
  • 1950 Cockburn, Raby Castle (CEM);
  • 1955 Croft (PW);
  • 1955 Mackenzie (BMHR);
  • 1960 Martinez (IDJ);
  • 1960 Taylor, bottled by J G Thomson of The Vaults, Leith (NAC);
  • 1960 Graham, bottled by J G Thomson of The Vaults, Leith (DESVA from NAC);
  • 1960 Quinta do Noval (MPM);
  • 1963 Quinta do Noval, bottled by Grants of St James’s (JDAW);
  • 1963 Fonseca (MSC);
  • 1966 Quinta do Noval (JV from MSC);
  • 1966 Fonseca (CPR);
  • 1962 Fonseca Guimaraens (NPM from MSC);
  • 1977 Fonseca (GEAG);
  • 2000 Graham, Magnum (BP);
  • 1948 Taylor, non-Raby † (CEM);
  • 1997 Taylor ‡ (MPM);
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.

[jdaw1]

My TNs posted: please post yours.

So Ben P. started a bring-a-bottle tasting, and Cliff posted early: “I'll bring some Raby ports.”; then “Will bring Raby ports D27, F34, T48 and Ck50”.

Ah: that’s the game. And thank you — what a great game.

Conclusions:

• 1934 Fonseca, cold-stored, is Hall-of-Glory grade wonderful.
• 1948 Taylor, cold-stored, is Hall-of-Glory grade wonderful.
• Cold storage is wonderful.

[jdaw1]

‡ = Non-Raby Taylor 1948; † = Taylor 1997.

[winesecretary]

I recall a discussion with Will about Newfoundland port…

[PhilW]

Conclusions:

• 1934 Fonseca, cold-stored, is Hall-of-Glory grade wonderful.
• 1948 Taylor, cold-stored, is Hall-of-Glory grade wonderful.
• Cold storage is wonderful.

We all know how much cool, dark, constant temperature storage matter, and particularly for these older wines it seems the cooler the better (to some limit, presumably); while such cooler temperatures might mean slower maturity, it certainly has worked for the longevity of these phenomenal ports. In agreement with Julian's tasting notes, The F34 and T48 were both absolutely gorgeous. Which was better? I don't know; the Fonseca for me had more complexity and I prefer the flavour profile, but the structure and texture of the Taylor was just fabulous. Both wonderful, and it didn't matter which was better tbh. A huge thank you to Cliff for bringing and sharing these.

Of the non-ex-Raby ports, the non-Raby T48, Mk55, N66, F63 and F77 were all delicious; it's not a bad evening when a "best F63 I've tasted for a long time" comes.. 6th? On other evenings any of those could have been WOTN. Wonderful stuff; thank you all.

[cem]

I was astonished by the almost crystalline colour and clarity difference between them and other much younger wines.

My back of a fag packet calculation is this.

The average year-long temperature in Durham is 9.1°C. Raby’s elevation makes that approximately 8°C. If their cellar is approximately 10 to 12 feet deep, that would imply a range of around 4°C a year. Thus, the wines were likely kept between about 6°C and 10°C.

And Phil's right, the other delicious ports would have been WOTN at other tastings. Definitely the best F63 I have had for a very long time!