The curse of G77

[djewesbury]

I am cursed. After this now this, my lovely magnum of G77 bought at auction (the night of our tasting in May):

This parcel has been damaged. It is in the Northern Ireland depot. Please contact them on 04894488181 to advise. There is one bottle of port broken.

I spent a day and a half trying to find a courier who was able to move a bottle of wine 100 miles within the island of Ireland. I now know that there is none.

[djewesbury]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk 21370612533.986663.jpg (28.79 KiB) Viewed 10244 times

Apparently the courier declined extra packaging when offered...

[RAYC]

I'm actually suprised that the auction house did not properly wrap the bottle / pack out the wooden box before sending. Or didn't put it in extra packaging themselves before giving it to the courier (why even the need to ask the courier?). Doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that that is not a particularly safe way to send unless you are using a specialist wine transport service.

[djewesbury]

I know, it's kind of depressing. Now I want to organise a G77 tasting. From halves, bottles, magnums, jeros, methuselahs and nebs.

[PhilW]

That is not a nice thing to see
In the past I've enquired of quite a few couriers and auction houses to check rates and services regarding delivery from auctions; almost all require you to pay for them to undo any crate or box, wrap all bottles individually (which for small quantity can be a high relative cost) and send - I guess they have had this type of incident too frequently without such packing when using standard couriers.

[g-man]

stateside they alwasy ship bottles seperate from wooden cases/box

if they did ship it with the wood, there's heavy styro/pop ems wrapped all over the bottle and the box.

that's just painful to see.

[Glenn E.]

I spent a day and a half trying to find a courier who was able to move a bottle of wine 100 miles within the island of Ireland. I now know that there is none.

Very sad to see such a lovely bottle ruined.

But this quote makes me think of a very true saying:

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways. Our concepts of time and distance are strikingly different.

I'd have probably driven 100 miles to pick up a magnum of G77. For example, tonight I leave for winery just the other side of Prosser, WA, so that I can judge a BBQ competition tomorrow. It's a little over 200 miles, or about a 3.5 hour drive. Not a big deal. In 2011 I drove to Los Angeles to go to a Port tasting at Andy's with Oscar Quevedo. 1150 miles. Each way. In a smart car. That's roughly equivalent to driving from London to Naples, Italy.

On the other hand, I think that 80-yr old houses are pretty cool because they are so old.

But for the record, you are now forbidden from ever shipping G77 anywhere again. Banned for life. Sorry, but it's just too nice of a Port for you to keep paying to have bottles broken for you.

[PhilW]

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways. Our concepts of time and distance are strikingly different.

I agree that there is probably a cultural difference in this regard. I put this down to the facts that Americans typically pay 2 cents per gallon for petrol while we pay about 5 cents plus 50 dollars in tax per gallon; and that Americans exaggerate a billion times more than Europeans

[g-man]

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways. Our concepts of time and distance are strikingly different.

I agree that there is probably a cultural difference in this regard. I put this down to the facts that Americans typically pay 2 cents per gallon for petrol while we pay about 5 cents plus 50 dollars in tax per gallon; and that Americans exaggerate a billion times more than Europeans

dude, it was THAT big!

[djewesbury]

Lessons learned, lessons learned. If I'd known exactly how the bottle would be treated I'd have walked there to get it myself. After a day and a half of "no, we wouldn't be able to take that", or "no, if it broke it wouldn't be insured", or just no answer at all (and don't get me started on the DHL website, sorry AHB...) I guess I just caved in.

This is NEVER happening to me again.

[djewesbury]

But for the record, you are now forbidden from ever shipping G77 anywhere again. Banned for life. Sorry, but it's just too nice of a Port for you to keep paying to have bottles broken for you.

I'm actually being employed by Adrian Bridge to destroy all stocks of G77. I keep saying to him, "You know, there is a more enjoyable way to do this..."

[Glenn E.]

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways. Our concepts of time and distance are strikingly different.

I agree that there is probably a cultural difference in this regard. I put this down to the facts that Americans typically pay 2 cents per gallon for petrol while we pay about 5 cents plus 50 dollars in tax per gallon; and that Americans exaggerate a billion times more than Europeans

Well sure, but we're only getting American gallons.

And is that a British billion (one million millions) or an everywhere else in the world billion (1000 millions)?

[djewesbury]

And is that a British billion (one million millions) or an everywhere else in the world billion (1000 millions)?

I thought we'd given up on that one years ago.. Around the time that 'access' became a verb...

I'm drowning my sorrows.

[RAYC]

And is that a British billion (one million millions) or an everywhere else in the world billion (1000 millions)?

everywhere else in the world...?

I thought the UK was pretty much the only country in Western Europe whose billion is only 1000 million....

or is this the US exaggeration Phil was mentioning!!

[jdaw1]

The word billion used to be ambiguous. In American English a billion is a thousand million, but it meant a million million in old British English, and still does in some other languages. In English the Americans have won: a billion is always a thousand million, and a trillion is always a million million. Because the words ‘million’ and ‘billion’ sound so similar, in spoken English the word ‘yard’ (a contraction of ‘milliard’) is often used as a synonym for a thousand million.

A yard is three feet; a billion has three sets of zeroes.

[djewesbury]

the word ‘yard’ (a contraction of ‘milliard’) is often used as a synonym for a thousand million

by people who often talk about a thousand million...

[TLW]

I am cursed. After this now this, my lovely magnum of G77 bought at auction (the night of our tasting in May):

This parcel has been damaged. It is in the Northern Ireland depot. Please contact them on 04894488181 to advise. There is one bottle of port broken.

I spent a day and a half trying to find a courier who was able to move a bottle of wine 100 miles within the island of Ireland. I now know that there is none.

My most sincere condolences at your loss. A number of years ago I lost three or four oversized magnums of 1963 Dow in a similar fashion. Tragic. Hundreds of bottles of port later, I still bear the scars.

[TLW]

I know, it's kind of depressing. Now I want to organise a G77 tasting. From halves, bottles, magnums, jeros, methuselahs and nebs.

I have bottles and magnums of the 77 Graham, and am very curious as to the effect of differing bottle sizes on port in the very long term; however, given the potential for any one of the bottles being corked, substantial reserves may be necessary . If I happen to be in the UK when you organise the G77 tasting, would love to bring something along. Anyone have any double magnums or imperials?

[djewesbury]

Anyone have any double magnums or imperials?

I think I know one man who could tell us whether doubles or imperials were even made of this vintage - if they were, I presume they are still in Gaia though..

On another note, I am looking into the cover offered to me by my credit card. Since the UK has consumer credit laws covering the condition of supply of goods there might just be an avenue here...

[jdaw1]

I have bottles and magnums of the 77 Graham, and am very curious as to the effect of differing bottle sizes on port in the very long term;

Though shorter-term than ‟very long term”, we recently compared a half bottle of Sandeman Vau 2000 to a double magnum, and, for two reasons, preferred the latter.

[uncle tom]

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways.

And if a place is 100 miles away, a New Zealander will say it's two hours away..

I think that 80-yr old houses are pretty cool because they are so old.

My 144yr old house is bloody freezing..!

[jdaw1]

My house was built in 1894. In 2014 it will have some refurbishment done, the completion of which I hope to celebrate with a VP of the appropriate vintage. Alas ’94s are hard to find if you have a spare, please let me know.

[uncle tom]

In the classic 1949 Ealing comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets, vintage port gets one of its few big screen mentions:

'The Cockburn '69 my lord - there is no finer wine'

(the port was subsequently poisoned, and used to kill the vicar..)

My house being built in 1869, I have searched for this elusive liquor, but without success...

[jdaw1]

'The Cockburn '69 my lord - there is no finer wine'

Could this be a Croft-Cockburn ’68-’69 switch, the author being aware, even if only vaguely, that the Croft ’69 was not all what it seemed? It might be a literary device, echoing a poisoned wine, without involving libel lawyers.

[uncle tom]

Croft ’69 was not all what it seemed?

I've never heard of a Croft 1869 - in fact, the oldest on my database just happens to be 1870..

My guess is that it was a bit of poetic rhyme - 'wine and nine'

[Alex Bridgeman]

I spent a day and a half trying to find a courier who was able to move a bottle of wine 100 miles within the island of Ireland. I now know that there is none.

Very sad to see such a lovely bottle ruined.

But this quote makes me think of a very true saying:

In America, 100 years is a long time. In Europe, 100 miles is a long ways. Our concepts of time and distance are strikingly different.

I'd have probably driven 100 miles to pick up a magnum of G77.

I have a similar approach. If I buy wine that I want to make sure arrives safely, I will go and get it. Last year I did a day trip to Perth from the South of England. That's a 15 hour round trip of about 950 miles - but that was the only way I could be sure my bottles were treated properly. And it was a good job I took my own bottle boxes with me!

[uncle tom]

To date, 8752 bottles of port have passed through my hands, and to date, not one has been broken - but I'm sure the day will come..

If you send something by post or courier, expect that it will fall off the back of a truck, literally - that's a drop of about 4'6" - 1.35m - typically.

If the packaging won't withstand that, don't send it...

[djewesbury]

If you send something by post or courier, expect that it will fall off the back of a truck, literally - that's a drop of about 4'6" - 1.35m - typically.

Yes.

[jdaw1]

'The Cockburn '69 my lord - there is no finer wine'

Could this be a Croft-Cockburn ’68-’69 switch, the author being aware, even if only vaguely, that the Croft ’69 was not all what it seemed? It might be a literary device, echoing a poisoned wine, without involving libel lawyers.

I've never heard of a Croft 1869 - in fact, the oldest on my database just happens to be 1870.

The case is different with another notoriously bad vintage, that of ’69, which was shipped by one solitary shipper, Messrs. Croft, and a beautiful wine it was, but it was not a ’69 and everybody knew it.

What happened was this: the summer of 1868 was exceptionally hot and the grapes were shrivelled by the heat; there was no question about this; the head of the House of Croft had seen them with his own eyes, when visiting the firm’s vineyards in the Alto Douro; and so he declared to all who met him on his return to Oporto that there would be no Vintage and hardly any wine at all. But it so happened that the moment he had turned his horse’s head towards Oporto, a fine rain had descended upon the shrivelled grapes which were bursting forth sugar and only wanted this gift from heaven to swell out and bring forth a wonderful wine, one of the finest vintages ever made in the Douro. But Croft would not go back upon their word: they had declared that there was not going to be a ’68 vintage and there was no Croft ’68 but everybody knew that Croft ’69 was ’68.

[uncle tom]

Lovely story - I wonder if any bottles survive?

[DRT]

Lovely story - I wonder if any bottles survive?

Even if it is a lovely story, I'm not opening my last case until 2069

[jdaw1]

I'm not opening my last case until 2069

How cute, buying it in cases rather than by the pipe, delivered and binned into the cellars.

[djewesbury]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk 21370612533.986663.jpg

Apparently the courier declined extra packaging when offered...

Full refund issued by RBS / MasterCard toward the end of last week. A happy ending, thankfully.

[Doggett]

'The Cockburn '69 my lord - there is no finer wine'

Could this be a Croft-Cockburn ’68-’69 switch, the author being aware, even if only vaguely, that the Croft ’69 was not all what it seemed? It might be a literary device, echoing a poisoned wine, without involving libel lawyers.

I've never heard of a Croft 1869 - in fact, the oldest on my database just happens to be 1870.

The case is different with another notoriously bad vintage, that of ’69, which was shipped by one solitary shipper, Messrs. Croft, and a beautiful wine it was, but it was not a ’69 and everybody knew it.

What happened was this: the summer of 1868 was exceptionally hot and the grapes were shrivelled by the heat; there was no question about this; the head of the House of Croft had seen them with his own eyes, when visiting the firm’s vineyards in the Alto Douro; and so he declared to all who met him on his return to Oporto that there would be no Vintage and hardly any wine at all. But it so happened that the moment he had turned his horse’s head towards Oporto, a fine rain had descended upon the shrivelled grapes which were bursting forth sugar and only wanted this gift from heaven to swell out and bring forth a wonderful wine, one of the finest vintages ever made in the Douro. But Croft would not go back upon their word: they had declared that there was not going to be a ’68 vintage and there was no Croft ’68 but everybody knew that Croft ’69 was ’68.

I seems the mistaken Cockburn 1869 in Kind Hearts and Coronets that was recently discussed in the Port & Literature thread has been raised before...