55 @ 55

uncle tom · Post by **uncle tom** » 18:40 Sat 21 Mar 2009

This event has been discussed casually for a while now, and although still early days, I thought I'd pen a few thoughts:

When?

The 2010 calendar will doubtless have to make space for a '60 event, and there is talk of a '70 MkII as well.

How does September/October suit people? Possibly immediately before or after the harvest trips.

Where?

I like the idea of this being a very civilised affair, with good food and ambiance, and with the wines served from decanters. The RAF club has been suggested, although I don't know what it's like inside, or we could repair to The Bell.

How many?

Not too many wines, but a full set of the classics; maybe around 16 decanters..?

What do we need?

I have twelve 55's, but it would deplete my cellar to furnish all of them. I have plenty of Cockburn, Gonzalez Byass, Martinez, Noval, Offley, Taylor and Warre.

Not in my cellar, and difficult to obtain, (but desirable) are Nacional and Niepoort. Calem also perhaps.

I do not have Croft or Delaforce, but am on the lookout..

Thoughts and comments please!

Tom

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 19:06 Sat 21 Mar 2009

Hey Tom,

count me in on this. Although I only do have Graham and Warre from 55 and would need to bring them over. Count Wolfgang in as well as we already talked about this last time we met. I would suggest we take only bottles which are already UK based or will be soon. There should not be an air travel involved on the day of the tasting.

I could arrange the RAF club which has the pleasure of large rooms and a fairly fair sleeping capability (I would not want to drive after such an event). November would suit excellent I think. If you do not mind I would suggest one of the major writers as special guests. I could arrange this, too.

Axel

Post by **DRT** » 19:31 Sat 21 Mar 2009

Sounds great. I'm in.

I would be more than happy to put all of my 1955s up for the event. Unfortunately I have none

The RAF Club sounds ideal for this but if we are serving from decanters at the table numbers would have to be restricted to no more than 10 to allow for slight inconsistency in pouring and allow everyone to enjoy a proper sample of each wine. If we go for our usual max of 14 people I think we would need to resort to controlled pouring and forego the pleasure of passing the decanters around the table.

Derek

Post by **jdaw1** » 20:51 Sat 21 Mar 2009

Definitely in. I have only Adam’s; Cockburn; Taylor; Warre; sundry ‘believed’s. Though it would also deplete my cellar, my cellar exists to be depleted (by me). Also, I want to use some of my ’55s at the CUTwC dinner, so knowing what I must save for this tasting would be helpful.

I agree with Derek’s comment: self-pouring from decanters restricts us to ten people; controlled pours allows fourteen.

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 01:04 Sun 22 Mar 2009

If this is in Sept or October, at the time of the Harvest Trip, then I could also make it as I head over or return from Portugal. I'd love to attend this. Like Derek I don't have any 55's, but could source one for the occassion.

Post by **jdaw1** » 01:45 Sun 22 Mar 2009

So that we don’t lose count, in order of acceptance:

Special Guest?;
Special Guest?;
uncle tom;
Axel P;
DRT;
jdaw1;
Andy V (if timing works with harvest tour);
AHB;
JacobH;
WS1;
Enrico;
KillerB;
marc j.;
BMHR.

Waiting list.

VJR;
Glenn E..

This post will be updated from time to time, and could best be ‘quoted’ by being pointed at with this link.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 17:14 Sun 22 Mar 2009

I am most certainly up for a '55 tasting - preferably at a venue in London simply because the logistics work best for me that way.

I'm happy to contribute from my cellar, as Julian put it most aptly - my cellar is there to be depleted by me. I can offer Ferreira, Fonseca, Martinez or the "Buckingham Palace Blend", prepared by the Factory House members from a combination of their wines.

I also like the idea of organising this in early October to tie in with the end of Roy's harvest trip so that it gives fellow port lovers who go on the trip the opportunity to come back via the UK and to enjoy some of our hospitality.

Alex

JacobH · Post by **JacobH** » 18:58 Sun 22 Mar 2009

Am I the only person who read the title and thought Tom was proposing a 55-bottle horizontal?

In terms of contributing to such an Offline, I’m afraid I’m in the same boat as DRT!

JacobH · Post by **JacobH** » 20:40 Sun 22 Mar 2009

Sorry, it has been brought to my attention that I was being hopeless vague. Please add me as ‟prospective”. Early October looks good to me and late September is pretty clear, too.

Post by **DRT** » 09:33 Mon 23 Mar 2009

Given Jacob's initial confusion on reading the thread title it may be worth pointing out for those who have missed it that this off-line is likely to happen in October 2010.

I would suggest that the "Buckingham Palace Blend" is a "must have" for this event

WS1 · Post by **WS1** » 22:32 Mon 23 Mar 2009

Hi there,

if there is still an available place please also count me in. I can contribute in terms of 1955 Ports Croft, Warre, Dow, Grahams, Cockburns and Ferreira.

regards

Wolfgang

uncle tom · Post by **uncle tom** » 12:27 Tue 24 Mar 2009

Thanks Wolfgang - could I ask you and Axel to sniff around for a Niepoort '55 (at sensible price..) - they just don't exist in the UK..

Tom

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 21:11 Wed 25 Mar 2009

Hey Tom,

already in the loop. Since the VIP guest is in my point of view a very good thing to go along with. I would have some in mind and will pm you these if you wish.

Axel

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 08:29 Fri 15 May 2009

Please include Enrico as well

Axel

KillerB · Post by **KillerB** » 10:14 Fri 15 May 2009

Somehow missed this - I'd like in as well please.

Like Derek I will donate all of the 55s that I have, which are all Britvic 55s.

marc j. · Post by **marc j.** » 05:43 Tue 11 Aug 2009

If this falls either just before or just after the Harvest trip you can count me in! As far as '55s go I have some Cockburn, Dow, Croft, Ferreira, Taylor et. al. - according to my cellar management tool I have more 55s than any other vintage - looks as though the time has come to put a dent in those numbers!

Marc

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 19:03 Fri 14 Aug 2009

Just received some Sandemans and WS1 got Croft.

Axel

WS1 · Post by **WS1** » 21:46 Wed 30 Sep 2009

Hi there,

if still space available can you please add Enrico to the list of participants? You probably remember Maggie and him from the 1970 Horicontal. He can bring either a perfectly stored bt of Croft or Taylor 1955.

regards

WS1

Axel P · Post by **Axel P** » 20:27 Thu 01 Oct 2009

I guess so far we are well along. Tom, could you please keep track:

Can one of the US-gentlemen tell us when we can expect the timing of the harvest tour?

Axel

1. uncle tom;
2. Axel P;
3. DRT;
4. jdaw1;
5. Andy V (if timing works with harvest tour);
6. AHB;
7. JacobH;
8. WS1.
9. Enrico
10. US-1
11. US-2
12. Special Guest 1
13. Special Guest 2

benread · Post by **benread** » 17:51 Mon 05 Oct 2009

Axel P wrote:I guess so far we are well along. Tom, could you please keep track:

Can one of the US-gentlemen tell us when we can expect the timing of the harvest tour?

Axel

1. uncle tom;
2. Axel P;
3. DRT;
4. jdaw1;
5. Andy V (if timing works with harvest tour);
6. AHB;
7. JacobH;
8. WS1.
9. Enrico
10. US-1
11. US-2
12. Special Guest 1
13. Special Guest 2

14. BMHR! (Please)

VJR · Post by **VJR** » 21:45 Tue 08 Dec 2009

15. VJR (last and least -

)

Should be an instructive and great tasting. Have a couple of 55s too

Cheers, victor

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:10 Tue 08 Dec 2009

Axel P wrote:
Can one of the US-gentlemen tell us when we can expect the timing of the harvest tour?

The Harvest Trip is OCTOBER 3-10, 2010

KillerB · Post by **KillerB** » 22:12 Tue 08 Dec 2009

Errrmmm... excuse me but errrmm... I did put my hand up earlier... honest.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 22:20 Tue 08 Dec 2009

I had forgotten that we had planned this tasting for October 2010, when planning the re-run of the 2005 diagonal tasting. So as not to create too many amazing tastings close together, I propose to defer the diagonal re-run until October 2011. Any objections?

Post by **DRT** » 22:26 Tue 08 Dec 2009

AHB wrote:I had forgotten that we had planned this tasting for October 2010, when planning the re-run of the 2005 diagonal tasting. So as not to create too many amazing tastings close together, I propose to defer the diagonal re-run until October 2011. Any objections?

Not from me. We are in danger of "Mammoth Tasting Overload" if we plan too many big ones close together. But there may be a queue of Americans at the door of the Crusting Pipe for this one who had their name down for the diagonal

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 03:20 Wed 09 Dec 2009

No objections from me if everyone doesn't mind waiting.

Glenn E. · Post by **Glenn E.** » 05:16 Wed 09 Dec 2009

DRT wrote:But there may be a queue of Americans at the door of the Crusting Pipe for this one who had their name down for the diagonal

Me, for one.

I haven't made any travel arrangements for the 2010 Harvest Tour yet, though, so could skip the UK portion of the after-trip if I'm not part of this tasting.

But this is weird... I could swear that I signed up for this tasting, yet I see no reply from me in this thread. Hrm... my memory seems to be playing tricks on me again.

VJR · Post by **VJR** » 07:56 Thu 10 Dec 2009

What's the problem with "mammoth tasting overload". I actually quite like the notion of that.

But I do agree that the annual highlights should not be compressed into a couple of weeks.
Cheers, victor

Post by **jdaw1** » 09:36 Thu 10 Dec 2009

List of people updated, in order of being requested. Including two ‟Special Guest”s there are now fourteen.

Axel: who are the special guests? Are they really ‘special’, or are they placeholders for people who haven’t replied?

Glenn E. · Post by **Glenn E.** » 22:35 Thu 10 Dec 2009

Please put me on the waiting list, at least until such point as I have worked out travel arrangements for the 2010 Harvest Tour. If I haven't moved into the official part of the list by the time I make those arrangements then I'll make the decision regarding whether or not to loop home through London based on cost.

Post by **jdaw1** » 23:20 Thu 10 Dec 2009

Glenn E. wrote:Please put me on the waiting list

Done.

WS1 · Post by **WS1** » 12:55 Sun 13 Dec 2009

Hmm, I thought in May I managed successfully to get Enrico added to the list. It looks this was not the case. Can he please be added to the waiting list?

Overall i think we have by far to much interest and not enough places. Hence I would like to suggest to do the tasting twice.

regards

WS1

Post by **jdaw1** » 13:54 Sun 13 Dec 2009

Somebody started a second list, with ensuing confusion.

Enrico added to the main list. VJR: sorry, he was much before you, and that has pushed you into the waiting list.

Apologies for my administrative error.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 18:15 Sun 13 Dec 2009

Perhaps, if the waiting list reaches 10 people, we could expand the tasting to two bottles of each wine (if we can get hold of two bottles from each shipper).

VJR · Post by **VJR** » 22:30 Sun 13 Dec 2009

That's fine, no need to apologize -
I'm sure it will work out for all.
Cheers, victor

Post by **DRT** » 22:43 Sun 13 Dec 2009

AHB wrote:Perhaps, if the waiting list reaches 10 people, we could expand the tasting to two bottles of each wine (if we can get hold of two bottles from each shipper).

Would it be helpful to suggest that we could change the title of this tasting to "Magnums of 55@55"?

WS1 · Post by **WS1** » 22:23 Mon 14 Dec 2009

Derek,

this is fine by me; however I can only add Mags from the vintage 1955 from Grahams. Have not come accross others so far. Would have bought them since sometimes normal bts just go too quickly. I am sure Jdaw1 and you understand/are appreciative

regards

WS1

Roy Hersh · Post by **Roy Hersh** » 08:27 Mon 21 Dec 2009

Not from me. We are in danger of "Mammoth Tasting Overload" if we plan too many big ones close together. But there may be a queue of Americans at the door of the Crusting Pipe for this one who had their name down for the diagonal

Exactly. I was counting on the original theme for that Saturday night, turned into Friday night. This is the first I've seen that it is now postponed until 2011 and that this tasting is inserted instead. I have '55s to ante up too, although after a week in Portugal, it would probably be easier to just pay for bottles instead of having them so shaken up and not showing well. So now that the Big Diagonal theme that AHB was planning has changed, do we just lose our spots?

Time to read page 2.

Roy Hersh · Post by **Roy Hersh** » 08:34 Mon 21 Dec 2009

Although I have Magnums back to 1935, 1955 is not one of the vintages I own. Please do add me to a waiting list, however this seems quite odd that we had a tasting arranged and now it is put off by a full year and that those on that list are not automatically transfered over to another tasting exchanged for the same night.

There are at least four or five of us that I can think of (in no particular order):

Andy V.
Glenn E.
Nicos N.
Marc J.
Roy H.

KillerB · Post by **KillerB** » 10:52 Mon 21 Dec 2009

Roy - are you sure you're not mixing up with this one? That's been postponed a year and all apart from Marc are on it, whilst Marc is on this one.

Post by **DRT** » 10:55 Mon 21 Dec 2009

I think there is general confusion around these tastings due to an off-line debate that happened a week or so ago. I'm not sure how it has all been resolved but watch this space.

Derek

Roy Hersh · Post by **Roy Hersh** » 18:07 Mon 21 Dec 2009

Thanks Derek. I'll stop back to check here.

Ghandih · Post by **Ghandih** » 08:52 Sun 28 Feb 2010

Hello all,

I could have sworn that I had registered an interest in this previously. Is it possible that I did and it got lost, or am I simply wrong? It's been known to happen. Please could I hop on the list, at any rate?

I've whizzed through the postings and couldn't find a date - presumably this should be done this year?! I like the idea of a formal affair, which makes the RAF club the obvious venue for me.

A parallel tasting with two bottles of each would clearly resolve the issue of many interested parties, and add an extra frisson of interest, if we can source each shipper's pair from different sources. If one bottle is substandard, we have a control against which to compare it. However, I concede that it will deplete the collective team cellars. I confess that, pretty much as usual, my cellar would sadly remain unaffected, not being blessed by 55s. I hope I could find a bottle to sponsor.

If we did expand to a double bottle tasting, and it happens towards the end of the year, I might even be able to persuade Mrs Ghandih to attend, if there were still spaces. She likes her ports, does the missus, and, with a long run up, we might be able to organise sufficient baby-minding cover. Just a thought.

Cheers all,

Ghandih

Chris Doty · Post by **Chris Doty** » 15:39 Tue 16 Mar 2010

One more for the waiting list, please!

Deleted_User_1 · Post by **Deleted_User_1** » 01:48 Sun 21 Mar 2010

I am not sure how I missed this one....unless I am the special guest!...No?...OK then can you put me on the wait list please.

If the wait list is long enough perhaps a paralell tasting could be arranged...any thoughts?

Cookie

Post by **DRT** » 02:16 Sun 21 Mar 2010

Cookie wrote:If the wait list is long enough perhaps a paralell tasting could be arranged...any thoughts?

The options that have already been suggested in the event of a long waiting list are:

Two bottles of each vintage
Magnums

Whilst option 2 would be fun, option 1 is perhaps more realistic given that AHB is insisting that this should be a complete vertical of every shipper who declared 1955.

Deleted_User_1 · Post by **Deleted_User_1** » 03:08 Mon 22 Mar 2010

Thank you...so... any thoughts on a paralell tasting ?

Surely the wait list can do the same ...if not better...then do we compare?...of course we do....this way we pull the best of the 55's from yours and the best of the 55's from the wait list and have a very comparitive tasting..we will probably end up drinking the same wine...thus a definitive answer...simples!