In desperate need of a daily sipper

[RonnieRoots]

Our port collection in Muscat is seriously depleted. We have only 6 bottles left. Three of those are 'special occasion' vintage ports, and the other three can be used as casual sippers:
- Warre Cavadinha 1995
- Smith Woodhouse LBV 1995
- Noval LBV 2001

The choice in liquor stores in Muscat is not very uplifting. I may (or may not, more often than not everything is sold out) have the chance to buy:
- Cockburn Special Reserve
- Cockburn 10YOT
- Taylor's LBV 2003

The Taylor's seems to be the obvious choice, but all bottles I've seen of this had been leaking seriously, so were probably cooked. A common problem here.

So the question is: do I buy cooked port or do I settle for Cockburn? Or do I decide to use my 2-bottle limit after my trip to the Netherlands for daily sippers instead of high end vintage ports?

What would you do?

[Michael M.]

1995 Warre Cavadinha VP is too far from its peak so as to provide full pleasure. It would not be my choice. Hence the LBVs remain. I propose to drink 1995 Smith Woodhouse LBV. It should be fully mature and I don't want to conceal that I would be particulary interested in an update of your impressions on this one as I am awaiting 3 bottles I ordered some days ago.

[DRT]

The Taylor LBV 03 showed up really well in a blind tasting in the Douro recently so I would suggest taking a punt on one or two of those leeky bottles to test whether or not they have been seriously damaged. If not, you can buy some more and you will have a good daily glugger. I am told, but have not tasted for myself, that the more recent releases of Cockburn SR are significantly improved compared to others you may have tried. Again, this is worth an experiment provided the bottles that are available to you are of the new tall cylindrical style that will have been blended and bottled very recently.

Good luck!


Derek

[KillerB]

When are you going to the Netherlands?

I couldn't face CSR as a core food group.

[RonnieRoots]

When are you going to the Netherlands?

Tomorrow. And I'll be there until the 25th.

Michael's idea will of course provide the best drinking pleasure, but it will ultimately leave me with a bigger problem: even less acceptable port. Right now I'm thinking of trying the Cockburn 10YO. The Taylor seems a bit risky (the bottles looked pretty awful. And if nothing works out, I will buy some Niepoort LBV in the Netherlands and bring that back. But I'd rather bring back some more special stuff...

[KillerB]

When are you going to the Netherlands?

Tomorrow. And I'll be there until the 25th.

Michael's idea will of course provide the best drinking pleasure, but it will ultimately leave me with a bigger problem: even less acceptable port. Right now I'm thinking of trying the Cockburn 10YO. The Taylor seems a bit risky (the bottles looked pretty awful. And if nothing works out, I will buy some Niepoort LBV in the Netherlands and bring that back. But I'd rather bring back some more special stuff...

Fancy an off-line? Haven't been over for a while, could do with a break and would be great to see you.

[RonnieRoots]

YES! I'll send you a PM.

[SushiNorth]

You need to set up a supply line -- befriend other intl's, especially frequent travellers, and encourage them to carry in two bottles of daily drinkers. If need be, find someone with access to TPFers in europe or the US and we can help keep them stocked when they visit.

[JacobH]

Our port collection in Muscat is seriously depleted. We have only 6 bottles left. Three of those are 'special occasion' vintage ports, and the other three can be used as casual sippers:
- Warre Cavadinha 1995
- Smith Woodhouse LBV 1995
- Noval LBV 2001

I second you drinking the Smith Woodhouse, but only because I've just bought a case and would like an up-to-date TN to determine when I drink them

Or do I decide to use my 2-bottle limit after my trip to the Netherlands for daily sippers instead of high end vintage ports?

I note that if the various sites on the web are correct, the limit seems to be 2l so two 750ml bottles means that you are not using the limit to its full potential. Useful bottles might be the the 500ml Warre Optima 20 y/o tawny (as 2x750ml+1x500ml=2l); or the 1l bottles of Taylors LBV (better than the 750ml bottles if you go down that route). Also, if two of you are travelling, you could presumably take in 5 normal bottles (and perhaps a half-bottle in the hope that they won't notice your total quantity will be 4.1l).

[RonnieRoots]

I usually stretch the limit by buying an additional 2 bottles at the Duty Free shop, not allowed, but I haven't had trouble yet. But you've made a good point. I could add at least a half bottle of something to the two. Maybe an Otima 0.5 or a Bomfim 0.375.

I wrote a TN on the Smith Woodhouse recently. Look that one up instead.

[Michael M.]

As I mentioned 3 bottles of 1995 SW LBV on the way to me. I got them on Wednesday and got (as usual) the victim of my own greedyness. A small aspect was to check at once the cork as to a decission of stocking up. So I decanted half bottle and pulled the other half into a 0,375l bottle for the next day. Decanting time was in each case about 3 hours. You see, no scientific basic conditions. On day one the wine was rather sweet and the sweetness seemed to dominate most. On day sweetness was reduced an more structure was there but it did not come together as I would estimate.

So what conclusion (if possible)? This is not old at all! And I doubt it to be fully mature. Even ruby reflexes in the glas. I would suppose it to be a rather good one and I probably will stock up. Sometimes I wonder if those LBVs will have a longer life ahead as one would assume. A TN from Andy about 1979 Warre's LBV comes to my mind.

[RonnieRoots]

I ended up buying Taylor's LBV 2003 from the local store (only one bottle, as there were few and all but one had been leaking badly) and brought back a bottle of Vallado 20YOT and a JJ Prum Auslese Wehlener Goldkap Sonnenuhr 1995 to Oman from my trip. I hope this will pull us through Ramadan.