The Port Forum Offline #2 - 1st Sep 2007

[DRT]

Offline at Conky's house in St Helens, Mersyside, UK on 1st Sep 07

Confirmed attendees:

• Corky
• jdaw1
• KillerB
• Derek T.

Possible attendees:

• Jay P.
• Uncle Tom
• Anyone else?

Wines:

• Fonseca 1920*
• Fonseca 1963
• Fonseca 1966
• Fonseca 1975
• Fonseca 1980
• Fonseca 1985
• Fonseca 2000

Come on guys, chuck your oar in

Derek

* F1920 is a re-bottled 750ml from a leaky magnum I bought 3 years ago - this one would come along mostly for fun as I have a feeling it is somewhat past its best

[KillerB]

Which of those is the previously mentioned off-year?

[DRT]

Which of those is the previously mentioned off-year?

Those are just the wines that jdaw is supplying. The rest of us need to come up with one or more off-years for our contributions

Derek

[jdaw1]

A double-horizontal sounds excellent. And indeed I have accepted Conky’s kind invitation, but will be arriving directly from the US. Of course I will be bringing all the 1945s, but don’t trust them in the hold. So I will be bringing all the 1945s that I am permitted to take as carry-on luggage.

(I’ll pay my share of £ cost of the port — sorry lads and lasses, best I can do.)

[DRT]

I'm only guessing here but I think the 1945 & 1948 double horizontal idea, whilst no doubt fabulous, is too rich for most of our merry little band, including me.

Perhaps going back the original suggestion of a line-up of wines from off-vintages with some sort of agreement on the overall cost that we will share between us. We could work in a suitable netting off process for wines supplied by attendees from their own cellar?

Thoughts?

Derek

[Conky]

Just been on Wine-Searcher checking out 45's. Gulp!!!
£400/£500 a bottle is a bit steep! I'd chip in towards one bottle like that, but when you then get a couple of other 'normal' ones, I'll be well spent up.
Was a lovely thought though. In my naivety, I was thinking they'd be 150-200, and I was mulling over whether I could stretch to that!

So I suppose we need a more realistic theme. Thinking Cap on. I know it could wait another decade, but that Fonseca 85 is winking at me, could that be the catalyst? Fonseca's, or 70's and 80's?

Am I right in thinking Julian would rather us supply the bottles and he'll just chip in when he gets here. Sounds fine.

Alan

[DRT]

I have F66, F75, F85 and F00 if we decide on an F night

[Conky]

What would you bring the F00 for? Do you want a rich source in the Spag Bol?

So Jdaw1 brings the F45 And we're nearly there!

Alan

[DRT]

What would you bring the F00 for?

Jay might turn up

Derek

[jdaw1]

A Fonseca night would be excellent for me. I have never had a Fonseca vertical. Oooooh, missus!

[Conky]

We can always change our minds, but, I have the 85. I'll start to look for a 63. Derek has the 66 and the 75. We can PM Jdaw1 and discuss what bottle we can buy on his behalf. That would give us 5 Fonseca's. If anyone else can come they can try to bring a Fonseca of their own. We can add a few other bottles of Fun and Frivolity, and the line up is beginning to take shape!

Now with Fun, Frivolity and Fonseca. I think we are developing the F Plan!

Alan.

[DRT]

I like the F Plan

I have updated the list of wines at the top of this thread with those that Conky and I have agreed to throw into the line-up. I will keep this list up to date as things develop.

Derek

[Conky]

You can confirm the 63. I've found a source. Good price, excellent provenance.
Is that enough crawling Uncle Tom?

Alan

[jdaw1]

Perhaps someone can bring a Fonseca from their cellar, on my behalf, with my settling as appropriate?

Edit, having read my PMs: yes, I would be willing to ‘bring’ half a bottle of Fonseca 1927.

[KillerB]

I have a 1980 which is not on the list. No worries about settling, it might be a good idea to bring a Guimaraens as well.

[DRT]

it might be a good idea to bring a Guimaraens as well.

I can introduce 1965, 1986 and 1987 as possibles for an FG Vertical

Derek

[DRT]

it might be a good idea to bring a Guimaraens as well.

I can introduce 1965, 1986 and 1987 as possibles for an FG Vertical

Derek

[KillerB]

I have the 86 as well so can drag it but I'd like a go at the 87... hint.

[DRT]

OK - lots going on behind the scenes here but at the moment we have 5 possible attendees (excluding Jay who remains welcome to join in) and 15 bottles of port, not counting the ones Conky said we were bringing for fun

Confirmed wines are Fonseca:

• 1920
• 1963
• 1966
• 1975
• 1985
• 2000

Possibles are:

• 1927
• 1970
• 1977
• 1980
• 1983
• 1992

Plus:

• Guimareans 1965
• Guimaraens 1986
• Guimareans 1987

We need more poeple

Derek

[RonnieRoots]

Wow, I'd love to be there, but I'm afraid I can't possibly make it. It surely looks like a legendary event already.

[Andy Velebil]

I wish I could easily fly over, but budget and work say otherwise. but I do plan on getting over there sometime in the near future to meet everyone, have some great laughs, and share some Ports. Have a good time guys.

[Todd P]

Alas, I would also love to join you all, however I am on holidays with the family on the West Coast of Canada. Something tells me that if I leave them, I'd best just STAY in the UK! (Wait, remind me of the downside again??? )

Todd

[RonnieRoots]

Hi Todd, which part of the west coast are you heading? We spent our holiday 2004 in Canada (Rockies, Okanagan, Vancouver and the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island). It was one of the most beautiful holidays we ever had!

[Jay P]

What would you bring the F00 for?

Jay might turn up

Derek

I'll take the 20 and 27 over the 2000, thanks. I'm not at all sure I can make it although I intend to try. Like Julian, if I could come, I would need to bring cash instead of bottles.

[DRT]

Jay,

You are obviously welcome to share all the other bottles but I thought you would be best placed to tell us how the 2000 was "coming along"

I do hope you can get over - this line-up is starting to look fairly specacular and a few more mouths (and wallets) may enable it to get longer or more dense

Derek

[KillerB]

15 bottles of Port is enough for 5 people - honest. I think we proved this in Birmingham.

[jdaw1]

Count me for not more than 1½.

[DRT]

15 bottles of Port is enough for 5 people - honest. I think we proved this in Birmingham.

I can't remember - I was asleep

Anyway, we now have 4.9 confirmed attendees, 0.1 who just needs to say "yes, I'm definately coming", one who needs to sort some reasonable travel from the other side of the globe and one who keeps saying no but might still say yes if we keep badgering him for another few weeks.

So, that could be 7. A few more mouths on top of that and we could be requiring more bottles, or have enough dosh to replace some of the low end stuff with 1 or 2 more expensive ones.

Derek

[KillerB]

It is not low end stuff.

We are talking about Fonseca here. It is just young or not such good years, it is by no stretch of the imagination low end.

[DRT]

I was talking relatively.

I hear what you say, but bomething like F75 or F83 is definately low-end compared with F27 or F77. My point is that adding more wallets and dropping F75, 80, 83 and 00(too young) from the line-up may open up the possibility for 1 or 2 more 40+ year old wines to savour.

Derek

[KillerB]

You always need stars to shine in the Cosmos. If every star shone as bright as the Sun we would be blinded.

Philosophy lesson ends here.

[Conky]

That sounds like a man on the Cheeky Vimto's!!!

Make it as grand as we can (and can afford), but we cant really go wrong, can we?

[KillerB]

Yes, we can.

A genuinely top tasting needs good quality wines all the way through... we have that. It needs, at the most, two or three exceptional wines. If you overdo it on ecxceptional wines you will lose the standard.

I have come across people that say "I will not drink a wine under 90 points". This is bow legs, you lose perspective.

I was at the tasting of 63, 66 and 70 of Fonseca, Taylor, Graham and Sandeman, and I can promise you it was getting a bit picky. I was willing to discard Sandeman altogether as not having the 'it' factor.

It's not that I want to cut down the great wines, it's that I want to appreciate the ones that are there.

[Conky]

Fairy Snuff!

I'll cede that point, and it was well made. My only mitigation, is I dont have many of these Special nights and pure greed is kicking in.

Alan

[DRT]

KillerB,

I hear and accept the wisdom of your thinking. You win by a country mile.

I too was seduced into thinking the Sandeman trio, and even some of the other non-F's were in some way "inferior" ports. The truth is that all of what we consumed that night would stand on its own feet and give great pleasure in doing so.

Am I a spolied brat? Yes, I think I am

Derek T.

[jdaw1]

Please sir, may I live in a world in which Fonseca 1980 is low-end stuff — with or without the hyphen?

[DRT]

Yes, off course you can. No hyphen required.

[Conky]

Fingers crossed, in the most ordinary of surroundings, around the time that September dawns...you will be living in a World where its Low-End,

At least for one night!

Alan

[jdaw1]

Flights booked. CO100 EWR→MAN, dep 22:05 Fri 31 Aug arr 09:55 Sat 01 Sep.

How do I get from Manchester airport to chez Conky?

• Somebody will be en route to Conky themselves, at approximately a suitable time, and can collect me: volunteers?
• Public transport? Clues welcomed.
• Car rental — pessimal.

On arrival I’ll be needing a clean-up and two hours sleep. After that, I’m yours.

[jdaw1]

Glasses: with 10ish bottles, and say 6+ people, we’ll need 60+ matching glasses. Conky: do you have? Failing which, should I, as part of my contribution, buy some number of these (or maybe from here)?

[Conky]

All of those issues will be sorted in the next 5 weeks or so. Worst case scenario, I'll pick you up from the Airport, but your right, I think someone maybe able to coincide coming over and pick you up on route.
You can bed down at mine for a few hours and shower,etc.
We'll have to firm up numbers and see how many glasses the participants can muster, and maybe purchase a few more if needed.
Having spent the afternoon playing a 'couldn't get out of it' competitve game of golf, whilst the rain came down like stair rods, whats worrying me more is the weather. There's no problems with it being indoors, but it will be so much nicer, if we can catch a balmy late summer afternoon/ evening. Fingers crossed.

Alan

[KillerB]

I can bring my eight port glasses!

[jdaw1]

Whilst acknowledging that the shortage is of people rather than port, it should be mentioned that there are a few bottles in my collection located 20 miles south of Gatwick. If anyone can be in that neighbourhood before the 1st of September, and is able to transport from there to sunny St. Helens, there would be available Fonseca 1960 1966 1977 1985. Of these only the 1960 isn’t already on the list above.

[jdaw1]

I wasn’t there, but that won’t stop me giving my opinion of the evening.

• A great showing of people;
• many more than none of whom are much better than me at identifying ports blind (perhaps because my tastings are always sighted);
• a considerable quantity of port was consumed;
• resulting in some late-evening confusion (trains, bottles, usual stuff);
• and a complete absence of photos of bottles, liquid, corks, or people.

Am I wrong?

jdaw,

You are now elected as Official Scribe for Offline #2 - that is the most concise and accurate assessment of the evening out of all the posts in this thread

Derek

I am honoured and flattered to be offered a post of such grave responsibility. Though I cannot hope to aspire to the great standards of the Founders, the Ancient Lights of this August Institution, in my own modest way I shall endeavour to do my best† .

†  My best excluding the taking of photos, as the wife will have the camera.

[DRT]

jdaw,

I will be driving to St Helens from Edinburgh in the afternoon which is really the wrong time for me to pick you up at the airport, which I would have been delighted to do if the timing was right.

On glasses, I can supply at least 11. Not identical, but all are port glasses.

Derek

[DRT]

I am honoured and flattered to be offered a post of such grave responsibility. Though I cannot hope to aspire to the great standards of the Founders, the Ancient Lights of this August Institution, in my own modest way I shall endeavour to do my best† .

†  My best excluding the taking of photos, as the wife will have the camera.

Will Mrs Jdaw be joining us as Official Photographer?

[jdaw1]

I will be driving to St Helens from Edinburgh in the afternoon which is really the wrong time for me to pick you up at the airport, which I would have been delighted to do if the timing was right.

Well, thank you for thinking of me. When you’re an hour from Manchester call Conky to find out whether my flight [edit: CO100 EWR→MAN] is horrendously late. If it is, invent a plan with him and leave a message on my UK mobile 07768 95 0123.

On glasses, I can supply at least 11. Not identical, but all are port glasses.

If you’re willing to drink from them, they’re good enough. If not, well, not.

Will Mrs Jdaw be joining us as Official Photographer?

Mrs Wiseman thinks there are better things to do than spend an evening with men drinking port until drunk. How wrong she is.

[DRT]

Well, thank you for thinking of me. When you’re an hour from Manchester call Conky to find out whether my flight is horrendously late. If it is, invent a plan with him and leave a message on my UK mobile 07768 95 0123.

Your number is now on my mobile and I will happily hatch a plan if required.

If you’re willing to drink from them, they’re good enough. If not, well, not.

I have drunk from each of them many times and will happily do so again.

Mrs Wiseman thinks there are better things to do than spend an evening with men drinking port until drunk. How wrong she is.

Not wrong at all

[Conky]

Jdaw1,

your flights coming in at 10ish in the morning? So add half an hour for luggage etc, and thinking about it, its probably too early for someone coming over. I'll fall on my sword and collect you. If you do get delayed, that might actually help. But it can all get firmed up a few weeks before.

Glasses wont be a problem unless you want special ones. I know quite a few licencees, and even if they haven't got them in stock, I'll get them to purchase cheaper glasses, of a Port type, in any quantity from their trade suppliers. Obviously it will be cheaper if we russle up enough through the attendees. I'll have a camera that you've previously seen the results of. Nothing special, but adequate.

Now by all means keep thinking of the little things, but relax, it'll all get sorted. Two weeks before the event, I would like a firmer idea of numbers and Port line-up, the rest will sort its self. You just turn up chilled and looking forward to good Port.

Alan.

[DRT]

I think now that jdaw has gone to the trouble of booking flights it would be good if others would confirm attendance so that we can make some firm plans for wine, glasses and beds.

I think the current list is as follows:

• Corky - definitely
• jdaw - definitely
• KillerB - definitely
• Uncle Tom - definitely maybe
• Jay P. - maybe
• AHB - probably not but maybe
• The Roots - would rather be drinking German beer

Please confirm or update your status ASAP. Anyone not on the list remains more than welcome to join us.

Derek