Request for advice on sourcing pre 1945 VP

[Alex M]

Dear all,

Having finally managed to save a bit of money it has always been my intention to own a bottle of VP from pre 1945. However my budget only stands at £300. Does anybody have any suggestions? Or is worth spending it on acquiring a couple of more recent bottles.

Regards,

Alex

[Alex Bridgeman]

£300 should buy you a bottle of pre-war port, but you will have to shop carefully and will probably not be able to go for any of the big names. Peter Wylie has an interesting selection in your price range - halves of Cockburn 1935, or a bottle of Delaforce 1935 for example.

Whatever you buy, I would encourage you to call up and have a chat with the merchant to make sure you know what you are buying - what is the fill, is the cork sound, is the wine still red in colour, etc.

Best of luck in your quest.

[RAYC]

A difficult one...with that budget i'd be inclined to try to pick up a couple of great 70s / 66s / 63s / 55s and be willing to pay a bit of a premium for rock-solid provenance - particularly if you intend to open on a special occasion and are relying on the bottle to perform.

Pre-45s are an expensive proposition and, given the time spent in bottle, can be a bit of a gamble unless you are willing to pay a premium for a reliable bottling with great provenance/condition and/or spend time going to auctions and inspecting bottles, waiting for the right opportunity (and being prepared to be outbid on a number of prime targets).

For those reasons, an "all eggs in one basket" approach could lead to disappointment if you are just looking around for a low cost, non-major label pre-45. (but..equally...could give you an amazing experience...)

[Alex M]

Decided on a 1/2 bottle of 1935 Cockburns VP, £135 inc VAT.

[g-man]

I personally, refuse to drink pre ww1 ports in normal quantities going forward after having a bout of unpleasantness one night.

[DRT]

I personally, refuse to drink pre ww1 ports in normal quantities going forward after having a bout of unpleasantness one night.

I'll have yours.

[mosesbotbol]

"Believed to be X Brand" bottles at auction are quite affordable. If the color is darkish and the cork is not protruding, just about any brand of port that old can be quite an experience.