The Port Forum Offline #2 - 1st Sep 2007

[jdaw1]

∃ review thread and individual TN threads for each of Fonseca 1920, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1992, and 2000.

Quoted for ease of access of linked threads.

[DRT]

TPF Offline #2 Checklist Update #3

• Sercial 1940 - on Death Row - awaiting decanting advice
• Fonseca 1920 - on Death Row, decant 15 minutes before serving
• Fonseca 1963 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1966 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1970 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1975 - on Death Row, decant at T-4 Hours
• Fonseca 1977 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1980 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1983 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1985 - on Death Row, decant at T-24hrs
• Fonseca 1992 - on Death Row, decant at T-10 Hours
• Fonseca 2000 - on Death Row, decant at T-24 Hours
• Tatsing Mats Production - Jdaws Task (completed)
• Tasting Mat Delivery - Jdaw's Task
• T-shirts - Jdaw's Task
• Glasses (39 available) - Conky has bought some thimbles to be sed as glasses
• Accomodation - all doss down at Conky's - Derek & Ghandih to bring sleeping bags
• Steaks & BBQ - Conky's Task
• Cheese - Ghandih's Task
• Cheese assistance - KillerB's Task - perhaps too much responsibility?
• Cigars - Derek's Task (completed)
• Camera - Derek's Task
• Laptop with 3G/Wireless and http://www.flickr.com account - Derek's Task
• Collecting Jdaw from Airport - Alan's Task
• picking Ghanhhhhhhhdihh up from somewhere - task to be allocated
• Visiting Orange with jdaw - Alan's Task
• Lovely Debs Prezzie - Each guest to bring small token of appreciation, including Conky
• Breakfast - Lovely Debs Task

Derek

[Ghandih]

jdaw, of course KillerB and I have not consulted on cheese. However, I note that he has given me a clue as to what he may bring. I will bring a lower calibre cheddar that I think is nicer than Monty, which tends to blow my socks off and then sprout vegetation in them. He seems to have stilton in a bag, so I'll leave off (with the assumption that the promised Cropwell Bishop will appear).

I thought a goats cheese would be a good thing, and there seems to be an obvious hole in the market as quoted for something ewey, that would be magnificently plugged by Wigmore, if only I could obtain some. I will be visiting Paxton & Whitfield Jermyn St this morning ("A gentleman only buys his cheese from Paxton & Whitfield" - Sir Winston Churchill" says their website http://www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk/index.php), so we'll see what they can do.

An email with some local mobile numbers (I know that makes sense even though it doesn't sound like it does) would be handy.

Ghandih

[KillerB]

OK I have two stiltons (CB and CB), Monty, Berkeswell (ewe) and the Dutch stuff that the Rootses gave to me.

[jdaw1]

OK I’ve got passport, boarding printout thingie, placemats, T shirts, Deb’s present and spare liver. Do I need anything else?

[Conky]

Safe journey, and try bringing over some decent weather. The forecast changed overnight to 'changeable', possible showers.
Thats doing my head in, as the tasting was planned for the Patio on a lovely late Summers evening. Fingers crossed, and I'm sure we'll manage.

[Ghandih]

Conky - at least you don't live in Manchester. It always rains there.

CU tomorrow...

[Ghandih]

OK I have two stiltons (CB and CB), Monty, Berkeswell (ewe) and the Dutch stuff that the Rootses gave to me.

I can add a Chaource (disappointing the French couldn't squeeze an 'i' in), a Golden Cross, a cave-matured cheddar and Neufchatel. I still may get another cheddar if the urge takes me, but we may already have enough cheese, if such a thing is possible.


Gahndih

PS I'm prepared to stake my cheesy reputation that the CB will taste better than the CB. You see if it doesn't!

[Conky]

Men of Cheese!

Not being a cheese person. Should I have one of those selection boxes of Crackers/Biscuits? I can easily russle them up if required.
I do have cigar cutters,etc.

Its rained enough for two days, today. So can we have a bit of Sun for tomorrow?

Alan.

[KillerB]

I have some Carr's water biscuits.

Conky - can you PM your address and Post code to me, please?

[DRT]

The first cork is out. I can confirm that the F2000 is black, thick and smells of fruit

[jdaw1]

Leaving in a moment; see some of you in about twelve hours, some of you later.

[jdaw1]

The first cork is out. I can confirm that the F2000 is black, thick and smells of fruit

Such observations belong here.

[Conky]

Thats Pure Julian! In the airport, about to cross the continents, and he's correcting Derek on which Thread his comment should be in!

And the Big Fella is messing with my head! Look at the latest, and recently changed BBC Forecast.

Its throwing it down as we speak, rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday. But look at tomorrow! Is it a cruel joke by the Big Fella. (Or some spotty oink at the BBC Met Office who has changed his mind every day of this week)

[jdaw1]

Not in airport. At home. About to leave, without a laptop, so leaving all the poor apostrophes in the hands of you known criminals.

[DRT]

The first cork is out. I can confirm that the F2000 is black, thick and smells of fruit

Such observations belong here.

The photo is now where it should be, as planned. The informative rambling drivel was posted here as that is where it should be.

Safe flight. See you tomorrow.

Derek

[DRT]

TPF Offline #2 Checklist Update #4

• Sercial 1940 - on Death Row - awaiting decanting advice
• Fonseca 1920 - on Death Row, decant 15 minutes before serving
• Fonseca 1963 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1966 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1970 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1975 - on Death Row, decant at T-4 Hours
• Fonseca 1977 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1980 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1983 - on Death Row, decant at T-6 Hours
• Fonseca 1985 - Decanted at 00:00 1 Sep 07
• Fonseca 1992 - on Death Row, decant at T-10 Hours
• Fonseca 2000 - Decanted at 21:30 on 31 Aug 07
• Tatsing Mats Production - Jdaws Task (completed)
• Tasting Mat Delivery - Jdaw's Task - en route
• T-shirts - Jdaw's Task en route
• Glasses (39 available) - Conky has bought some thimbles to be used as glasses
• Accomodation - all doss down at Conky's - Derek & Ghandih to bring sleeping bags
• Steaks & BBQ - Conky's Task
• Cheese - Ghandih's Task
• Cheese assistance - KillerB's Task - perhaps too much responsibility?
• Cigars - Derek's Task (completed)
• Camera - Derek's Task
• Laptop with 3G/Wireless and http://www.flickr.com account - Derek's Task
• Collecting Jdaw from Airport - Alan's Task
• picking Ghanhhhhhhhdihh up from somewhere - task to be allocated
• Visiting Orange with jdaw - Alan's Task
• Lovely Debs Prezzie - Each guest to bring small token of appreciation, including Conky
• Breakfast - Lovely Debs Task

Derek[/quote]

[DRT]

Below are 2 posts created by BirD and Jdaw1 in the Fonseca 66 TN thread. As I couldn't find a way to move the posts here I copied the text into this post as quotes and deleted the posts so that the TN thread remains clean.

I hope you are OK with this guys.

Derek

Is it usual on this forum to lay out the TN that you will be posting in advance of tasting? What a tease!

I own 1 '66 Fonseca and have been saving for a special occasion so am looking forward to seeing the note.

Thanks in advance.

BirD

Because this is a collabaratively arranged tasting of several bottles, we thought it easier to build the cross-linked threads in advance.

We’re trying to keep these TN threads reasonably on-subject (that is, about the wine in the title) by directing chit-chat to this thread (which is currently 11 pages long).

[Alex Bridgeman]

Not being able to be with you in person, I can assure you that I am eagerly awaiting regular updates, photographs and tasting notes (on the appropriate threads, of course). I am also relying on the fact that since Julian will be with you in person that all such notes and postings will be perfectly punctuated.

I decanted a Cockburn 1983 this morning and will be joining you in spirit and vicariously through the night.

Have fun and drink a toast to those of us who can't be with you.

Alex

[Alex Bridgeman]

Hello..anybody out there?

What time does the F plan diet start?

Has St Helens been cut off from the rest of the internet?

Alex

[Conky]

Alex,

To give you a flavour...



Would you like more???

The 63 is astounding, and the 20 was interesting but weak and watery.



Good fun, and the night is sooo young!

Alan

[jdaw1]

… which belongs here.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I'm very pleased to see that the sun is shining and that you are all studiously taking notes. I'm looking forward to seeing them posted as I sip what's left of my Cockburn '83.

Any early clues as to what you rate as the wine of the night? How did the weak (your descriptor, not mine) vintages of Fonseca hold up to their more illustrious siblings?

Alex

[Conky]

As you said, all will be confirmed later. The overall winner was the 1963. It was followed by 70, 77, 66 and 85.
The weaker years were ok, but not a patch on the big years.

Most have been scribing away, so lots of details to follow. We're now at the Off-Topic stage of the night. Derek is convinced we should impose British names on Foriegners. Julian is keen to order Black Pudding for tomorrows Breakfast. Alex is talking receipes, and Simon is remarkably coherent (But it cant last), and I am wondering how long I can continue to blag that I know a bit about Port. The Gorgeous Deborah is just shaking her head. I'm not sure what that means.

Happy Days!

Alan

[Conky]

Oh Dear!


As much fun as we're having. The odd bloke couldn't keep the pace.



For those who cant make it out. It's a Forum member who decided to bed down in the kitchen!

Alan

[uncle tom]

My - you've all been quiet today!

Dare I suggest the mother of all hangovers..

Tom

[Conky]

I'm about. Had a great time last night. But like normal, I failed miserably to take any decent notes.

I think I'm developing a real soft spot for 85's. The Fonseca was marvelous, and will surely improve a bit as well. I'm struggling to remember a poor 85 I've ever had.
The 20 was like a frail uncle, who used to be the life and soul of the party, but was now a little past it's best, but your trying desperately to ignore that. In respect for what it once was.
Great to meet Julian and Simon. Julians larger than life, and not half as finnicky as I had imagined. To be fair, though, no-one could have ben as finnicky as I'd imagined!
Simon was of good solid stock, as well. Stimulating company, and at the right times, as daft as a brush. I think the two of them are a perfect team. Simons' erudite charm, is the perfect foil for Julians exhuberance!
God knows what they thought of me!
This morning I also found out that Julian can eat like a horse, and that Simon struggled, but manfully past the Northern 'Morning After' test.
We also decided Dereks Liver's packing up, but thats another story.

I'll let the others expand on the Port side of things. But Debs and I hopefully re-engaged with a couple of established friends, and found a few new ones. Thoroughly enjoyed, A Bit Of A Do!

Alan

[RonnieRoots]

Looks like you all had a very good time! Where can I order those t-shirts? Will you be selling F-Plan mugs as well?

[Andy Velebil]

WOW, looks like all had a great time...and where is the link to all the rest of the pics

And I can't believe Derek is actually sleeping...I hope someone woke him up and gave him a little more to drink

[jdaw1]

Dare I suggest the mother of all hangovers

I felt fantastic in the morning, and even better after breakfast. Some combination of drinking excellent port and about six pints of water. Even though such post-event comments really belong in the review thread.

[Simon Lisle]

Well I missed something special which I could have made it to.I'm a bit of a magpie excluding the pun but I would have loved to have contributed.The guimarens 64 is a special port in my eyes anyway

[jdaw1]

There will be future tastings—watch this space.

[Conky]

Simon,

Hi. And it was a shame. There was one place left at the table, and there can never be enough people in the world, who can smile at my current avatar, and remember its real. The Port was even better!

Alan