An offline in honour of our new friend JK and his Adams 1966's
Jdaw has offered some dates in January 08 for this extraveganza of port centered around the 1966 vintage. My contribution, should you wish to accept, will be a bottle of the Fonseca 1966 from the same provenance as that tasted at the F-Plan Offline.
Please vote and offer your available 66's in this thread. Anyone who has no 66's can offer their company and a commitment to share in the cost of the event. The plan is that we will taste nothing but 1966's for the whole evening and probably have the most comprehensive 1966 horizontal in recent history.
Provisional location is the Crusting Pipe, Covent Garden, London. All nationalities welcome, even Americans
Derek
Last edited by DRT on 16:17 Wed 09 Jan 2008, edited 2 times in total.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
I have voted for no reason whatsoever other than to enable me to see the results. Whatever the end result is it will be discounted by 1 vote for Monday 28th January.
...and whichever night it is I will be there
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
If the date isn’t the Monday, I can easily bring any 1966 from Dow, Warre, and Berry Brothers’ Own Label (which is Warre). If it is the Monday, I’ll have a major panic rush getting from where-ever I am to Sussex and back again, but could cope. Or somebody passing Gatwick between now and then could collect for me. Or maybe JK could?
Just picked up a case of 66 Grahams (my favorite semi-not quite-affordable VP), but sadly will not be able to make it. When the date is set I may pop one to be there in spirit.
Following Derek's suggestion, I had myself a 66 Warres the other day, which was truely excellent. Looking for a case now...
I can make the Monday or the Wednesday, but voted for the Monday 'cos that was first on the list.
Following on from Alan's comments, are you sure that you want to make it a purely '66 tasting or could we make it a '63 vs '66 tasting? I know a '66 only would be ideal for JK, but do we also want to broaden JK's experience with vintage?
The only '66 port that I would be able to bring would be the Fonseca but I have a much wider range of '63s to choose from.
Alex
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
I think we should hold off on a decision on theme until we know how many people are coming along. I like the 1963 v 1966 idea but I also like the Greatest 1966 Horizontal in History idea too
How many F66's have you got? I only have 2 so if you have more I'd prefer to use one of yours and I'll buy something else?
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
As you can see we are struggling to come up with a wide selection of 66's. However, if Simon does have another 66 which isn't A, D, F or W we could have the following:
A66 - JayKay3
F66 - AHB
W66 - Jdaw1
D66 - Derek T.
Other66 - Simon Lisle
Derek
Last edited by DRT on 10:34 Sat 17 Nov 2007, edited 1 time in total.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
You have enough 66's to get a clear view of the vintage. Now you should slap in four 63's. Including Fonseca 63. That will take it to at least a bottle a guest, and the real Taste Challenge is on.
For our Era and our availability and expense, this is probably the ultimate Year v Year Challenge. I cant afford 48 v 55. I can do 70 v 77 another time. But 63 v 66 is the Big one in my lifetime. They at their best, and the conclusions reached that night will live with you for the rest of your life, I would suggest it would also influence and appear in countless Port conversations thereafter, like our Fonseca Off-Line is doing. A Benchmark Reference.
You are absolutely right. This 63v66 Offline could achieve legendary status in the virtual world of port fora.
In order to edge us towards a top flight 63v66 line-up I will withdraw my offer of a Dow 66 and return to my original offer of a Fonseca 66, thereby allowing AHB to dig deep into his cellar and bring one of his precious Fonseca 1963's to the surface I can also offer the following:
Burmester 1963
Borges & Irmao 1963 (which could accompany the Adams 66)
Graham's 1963
Croft 1963
Q d Noval 1963
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
My preference is a wider 1966 rather than a narrower double-horizontal. If necessary I can bring multiple 1966s, as, happily, due to a major re-routing of travel, I will be visiting my cellar the Friday before.
Although I like the Year v Year concept, cant you sell your suggestion a bit more than that? What could you offer that might swing it back to the Glories of 66? I'd have to give money if it were for a 66.
I think you misunderstand. I dont mind paying, I often pay. I haven't got stock worth talking about.
And even though I was suggesting year against year, I hope I was open-minded enough to say 'Well pitch what you've got on the 66 front' That would give me and others to make an informed choice.
I'll pitch in to sell the concept of a wider '66 rather than a double horizontal.
1966 is still an underappreciated year, but one which the cognoscenti are growing to appreciate more and more. You had the opportunity to try the Fonseca '66 against some of its siblings recently and - from what I can gather from the notes of that Fonseca vertical - the '66 impressed significantly.
I have tried only 4 shippers from the '66 vintage and enjoyed every one of them. I would love to try other, different shippers so that I can attempt to discover (a) does this vintage have an overall profile of quality or is it just the big names that are worth buying; and (b) are there any hidden gems out there? We all know the Fonseca '66 is a stunning wine that you should buy whenever you can afford to, but the Adams is likely to be much cheaper than the Fonseca and might be a great way to access the '66 quality but at a substantial discount to the Fonseca price.
However, the '63 vs '66 theme should be carried forward to another time - perhaps Xmas 2008 or the TPF "Thank Goodness it's the Port Season Again" offline in August 2008.
Alex
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
When I first posted this thread I had it in mind that we would create a significant event by having the largest horizontal tasting of 1966 VP's in recent memory, probably since the year it was released and tasted by the trade and press in 1968. The relatively low number of attendees, small number of 66 wines offered, including a few duplications, plus Alan's arguments for a 63v66 head-to-head swayed me away from my original plan.
However, having read AHB's post I am now back to where I started. Let's go for it with the 66's and leave the 63v66 debate for another time. AHB and I have already done that one once before anyway so I think we should be breaking new ground with this offline and concentrate on what was once thought to be the lesser year.
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
News: I now have to give a presentation, on a subject that is dearer to my heart than to yours, on the Wednesday 30th. Hence I’d very much like the tasting to not be on Tuesday 29th.
I only have the Fonseca '66 to offer for the tasting. I don't have a large range of '66s since I spend most of my time and money buying my '63 birth year ports.
Alex
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Today, I booked Leave for the Monday an Tuesday, to attend this one. With the help of Overtired & Emotional, we have rooms booked, an I will be purchasing the train tickets, anytime in the next 10 days.
So I can probably speak for John and I, We're Coming!
As per our previous conversations, I'm happy with the 66 theme. I am getting weak vibes on availability. I know Tom and Derek are working on this, but if it turns out to be a difficult task, dont forget the 63 v 66 option.
Unlike last time, were I couldn't attend and had other worries, this one is Full Steam Ahead! Bring on the Port.
With the addition of Conky, is this still the attendee list? (I might bring a useful something for people, so need to know how many.)
Derek T. wrote:Wine Offers:
Adams 1966 - JayKay32
Fonseca 1966 - AHB & Derek T.
Dow 1966 - Jdaw1, Simon Lisle & Derek T.
Warre 1966 - Jdaw1
BBR BOB 1966 (Warre) - Jdaw1
As you can see we are struggling to come up with a wide selection of 66's. However, if Simon does have another 66 which isn't A, D, F or W we could have the following:
A66 - JayKay3
F66 - AHB
W66 - Jdaw1
D66 - Derek T.
Other66 - Simon Lisle
Or Simon could ‘adopt’ my BBR BOB (believed Warre), thus allowing comparison between Warre-branded and what Warre sold to BBR. No later than the afternoon of Thursday 24th January I must have a final list of which bottles I’m bringing. And, for placemat (current draft) purposes, what others are bringing as well.
JAYKAY: please would you PM either Derek T. or me (or both) your mobile phone number, to permit on-the-day co-ordination and disaster recovery.
Just a quick note to let you know i have sent jdaw1 and Derek T my mobile number as requested. Looking forward to 'Going Underground'
with you all on the 28th.
I will be travelling from, say, 10am, until late afternoon. Do we want the two Warres decanted at â€‟10 hours or at â€‟3 hours? (I’m guessing longer.)
JK: are you familiar and comfortable with decanting (and indeed, double decanting)? Guessing not, I’ll advise.
Have to hand a clean dry container (like, really clean and really thoroughly rinsed), such as an empty wine bottle.
Have to hand a cork.
Have a clean dry funnel, and an unbleached coffee filter.
From one of your bottles of Adam’s 1966 remove any rubber or wax seal. (If this can be done neatly, such that the seal can be shown to us, that might help with identification. Just in case, take a a good photo before trying to remove it.)
Use your best corkscrew, which of course has an open screw, to remove cork. If the cork breaks it might be necessary to push it in.
Put funnel into empty bottle; unbleached coffee filter into that; pour port through.
When your bottle is empty, rinse it thoroughly with water but no detergent.
Drain the Adam’s bottle a for a few minutes. It won’t be perfectly dry inside.
Move funnel to Adam’s bottle.
Pour in a splash of the juice, only a splash.
Swirl that splash of port around to remove any remaining water drops, and pour away (or into a glass).
In goes the rest of the juice, and on goes the cork from sub-¶b.
Drink contents of glass mentioned in sub-¶k.
Bring double-decanted bottle to Crusting Pipe, with the seal and photo thereof, the Adam’s cork, and a liver.
We're both adopting, I hope. Derek is looking into that. That's part of where my 63 v 66 thoughts came from, but Derek is confident we'll source enough 66's and he usually comes up trumps.
Alan.
Sorry about this Jules, but this spellchecker does appear to correct apostrophes!!! Needless to say, I often forget.
I can now confirm that Tom has come up trumps once again and I now have 5 66s in my ppsession, including the F66 belonging to AHB. Please add the following to the lineup:
Grahams
Noval
Rebello Valente
Offley Boa Vista
Simon's other 66 that is not Noval or Warre
Please also add Simon's wife to the attendees.
Now we need to work out the port to person ratio and decide whether or not we have enough bottles. We then need to do some behind the scenes cash for bottles deals for those who have no bottles.
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
I have 4 bottles of 1966 (Graham's, Noval. Offley and Rebello Valente)that were purchased for an average price of £45 each. Three people here (Conky, O&E and KillerB) do not seem to have a bottle to bring along. Hopefully the solution is self explanatory. If not, please PM me.
A similar solution seems to exist in relation to JDAW's brother and his BBR66, although brotherly love may dictate that no money changes hands.
Derek
PS: Is it worth asking which form of retentive OCD JDAW2 suffers from or should we keep that as a surprise for the night?
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Love to be there, but can't see it happening... 
I can also offer the following: