Wed 17 June 2015, The Sweet-spot Vintages (66,70,77)

[flash_uk]

My plan for the 17th is to get to Woolgate for about 3pm and get the port decanted into a set of identical mineral water bottles. Of course this only makes sense if the port has been delivered to Woolgate in advance!

Alex, Ian, Charles, Julian, Phil, Derek - are you able to deposit bottles in advance? Phil - I expect this is likely not possible for you given location?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Mike,

Your web host appears to be offline - I was trying to check on the food order for my guests but got timed out.

Alex

[Alex Bridgeman]

My plan for the 17th is to get to Woolgate for about 3pm and get the port decanted into a set of identical mineral water bottles. Of course this only makes sense if the port has been delivered to Woolgate in advance!

Alex, Ian, Charles, Julian, Phil, Derek - are you able to deposit bottles in advance? Phil - I expect this is likely not possible for you given location?

If you can arrange with Woolgate, I should be able to drop my bottles off on Friday morning this week.

[PhilW]

Alex, Ian, Charles, Julian, Phil, Derek - are you able to deposit bottles in advance? Phil - I expect this is likely not possible for you given location?

I could courier them to you/Woolgate if wanted, otherwise no.

[jdaw1]

On the day, can you arrive in time that your bottles can be part of the blinding process?

That isn’t as early as 3pm. Things can be decanted into non-blinded ‘decanters’, the blinding stages happening after. But it is substantially before the last moment.

Summary for those not paying attention:

[flash_uk]

Mike,

Your web host appears to be offline - I was trying to check on the food order for my guests but got timed out.

Alex

Yeah thanks, I noticed that a couple of days ago. I'll email you the menu. Should be back online soon...have asked Julian to host the food order in the meantime!

[Alex Bridgeman]

CA (Chris) is right-handed and will be bringing two bottles which do not fit the theme but which he wishes to be a surprise.

CA's food order is:
Prawn Cocktail
Rump steak medium rare with triple cooked chips
Dessert to be ordered on the day

[PhilW]

On the day, can you arrive in time that your bottles can be part of the blinding process?

Currently uncertain. Three options:
(a) I could aim to be there by 5pm bringing both bottles decanted, but I could not guarantee to make it for this time.
(b) I could courier the bottles to Woolgate/Mike/whoever in advance.
(c) As an alternative, if someone else (AHB, CPR look like possibilities from the first post) were happy to provide the W70,W77, I could bring both bottles along intact to give to that person as replacements.

[flash_uk]

On the day, can you arrive in time that your bottles can be part of the blinding process?

Currently uncertain. Three options:
(a) I could aim to be there by 5pm bringing both bottles decanted, but I could not guarantee to make it for this time.
(b) I could courier the bottles to Woolgate/Mike/whoever in advance.
(c) As an alternative, if someone else (AHB, CPR look like possibilities from the first post) were happy to provide the W70,W77, I could bring both bottles along intact to give to that person as replacements.

If arriving with bottles decanted, then 6pm would be fine, if that is any help.

[flash_uk]

My plan for the 17th is to get to Woolgate for about 3pm and get the port decanted into a set of identical mineral water bottles. Of course this only makes sense if the port has been delivered to Woolgate in advance!

Alex, Ian, Charles, Julian, Phil, Derek - are you able to deposit bottles in advance? Phil - I expect this is likely not possible for you given location?

If you can arrange with Woolgate, I should be able to drop my bottles off on Friday morning this week.

I'll let Woolgate know to expect various bottles arriving in the next 7 days.

[RAYC]

Is Fonseca 66 needed or not. Or if not, what am I bringing?

[idj123]

If arriving with bottles decanted, then 6pm would be fine, if that is any help.

Mike, I'm rarely in London (other than for Tastings) and so dropping off bottles at Woolgate in advance is not a viable option for me. If it's ok, I will bring decanted bottles in line with your suggestion above. However, can someone just reaffirm how these should be presented from a blinding perspective?

[flash_uk]

Is Fonseca 66 needed or not. Or if not, what am I bringing?

No not needed Rob, but thx for offering - we'll split the costs and balance them across everyone. We have 12 bottles in the theme and 2 additional surprises arriving. As Julian has made space for 4 additional bottles, there are spaces for 2 more "surprises" if you have a burning need to bring something

[flash_uk]

If arriving with bottles decanted, then 6pm would be fine, if that is any help.

Mike, I'm rarely in London (other than for Tastings) and so dropping off bottles at Woolgate in advance is not a viable option for me. If it's ok, I will bring decanted bottles in line with your suggestion above. However, can someone just reaffirm how these should be presented from a blinding perspective?

No need to bring them blind - the blinding will happen in the room at the start.

[jdaw1]

As Julian has made space for 4 additional bottles

Willing to upgrade to space for 24 additional bottles, if that would be useful.

Mike: when the placemats are sufficiently final that I can make decanter labels, I will, which will be delivered with the D70 to Woolgate. Please do say when the placemats are sufficiently final for that.

[Alex Bridgeman]

On the day, can you arrive in time that your bottles can be part of the blinding process?

Currently uncertain. Three options:
(c) As an alternative, if someone else (AHB, CPR look like possibilities from the first post) were happy to provide the W70,W77, I could bring both bottles along intact to give to that person as replacements.

I could do this, but will assume you are bringing decanted before 6pm unless you say otherwise.

[RAYC]

Ah - ok - Hadn't realised that. I'm bottle rich cash poor at the moment so will duck out if that's ok (assuming food order is revocable at this stage and the line up hadn't changed since before I signed up - let me know if not!).

[Alex Bridgeman]

As Julian has made space for 4 additional bottles, there are spaces for 2 more "surprises" if you have a burning need to bring something

SM (Stephen) is contributing a bottle which is broadly in line with the theme, although it is not one of the official shipper/vintage combinations.

Ah - ok - Hadn't realised that. I'm bottle rich cash poor at the moment so will duck out if that's ok (assuming food order is revocable at this stage and the line up hadn't changed since before I signed up - let me know if not!).

Let's put it this way, if a bottle of F66 is not enough to get you a seat at the table with no additional cost please give me the bottle of F66 and I'll cover your port (and food) costs. That way:
(a) we get the pleasure of your company, which is rather rare these days; and
(b) I get an additional bottle of F66, which is a port that I don't have enough of!

Do we have a deal?

[CPR 1]

Funnily enough I have just said the same thing by PM!

[PhilW]

Ah - ok - Hadn't realised that. I'm bottle rich cash poor at the moment so will duck out if that's ok (assuming food order is revocable at this stage and the line up hadn't changed since before I signed up - let me know if not!).

Let's put it this way, if a bottle of F66 is not enough to get you a seat at the table with no additional cost please give me the bottle of F66 and I'll cover your port (and food) costs. That way:
(a) we get the pleasure of your company, which is rather rare these days;

+1 to Rob bringing the F66 as a (sighted) extra, and counting this as his bottle & food contribution.

[jdaw1]

Quite right: F66 always welcome, even at a tasting with a theme of ‘not F66’.

Please tell me what other extras should be sighted.

[flash_uk]

Hurrah! Good sense prevails - let us drink Fonseca 66

[DRT]

On the assumption that a request to relocate this tasting to Selkirk would be met with a lack of enthusiasm I am quite devastated to have to inform the assembled masses that I am now unable to attend. They couldn't have sent me to Dubai, Tahiti, Porto or Rio, could they? No - they chose Selkirk. Otherwise known as Effing Selkirk!

If my share of anything is due please can someone let me know. But please do it more gently than the person who told me I had to go to the place beginning with E.

[DRT]

FFS!!!!!

Selkirk?

[flash_uk]

FFS!!!!!

Selkirk?

OMG

[jdaw1]

The people of the town are known as Souters, which means cobblers (shoe makers and menders). At the time of the 2011 census, Selkirk's population was 5784.

You have been struck off the placemats.

[jdaw1]

Also, consequent to the arrival of a non-blind F66 (doff hat), further changes to the placemats, which I recognise might not be unanimously welcomed.

[flash_uk]

Also, consequent to the arrival of a non-blind F66 (doff hat), further changes to the placemats, which I recognise might not be unanimously welcomed.

They look fine to me.

[flash_uk]

Woolgate have been asked if we can drop bottles off. I'll update when I get confirmation.

[flash_uk]

OK Woolgate are all set to receive bottles. They also just let me know that the menu changes next Tuesday - one or two things might be different, if anyone's order is impacted I'll let you know.

[idj123]

So with Derek being banished to a far outpost does that mean that we are without a G70 and how many bottles are being brought in total (that we know of) as I'm losing track!

[flash_uk]

So with Derek being banished to a far outpost does that mean that we are without a G70 and how many bottles are being brought in total (that we know of) as I'm losing track!

Yes we now need a replacement G70. Leave that with me and I'll work it out with those who have G70 available.

So far, we have the 12 bottles from the theme SSV 66/70/77, plus Rob's F66, plus a couple of surprises from Alex's guest - 15 in total. And there are a couple of spare spaces on the placemat, so we could end up at 17.

[PhilW]

As an alternative, if someone else (AHB, CPR look like possibilities from the first post) were happy to provide the W70,W77, I could bring both bottles along intact to give to that person as replacements.

I could do this, but will assume you are bringing decanted before 6pm unless you say otherwise.

Thanks for offering Alex; It is looking at the moment as though I should be able to be there before 6 on Wed.

[flash_uk]

Mike: when the placemats are sufficiently final that I can make decanter labels, I will, which will be delivered with the D70 to Woolgate. Please do say when the placemats are sufficiently final for that.

I'd go ahead with the labels - we're not going above 17 bottles, so can't see anything changing, other than to have fewer, which simply means a label or two unused.

[jdaw1]

At Mike’s request, food order moved to my website. Please let me know of changes.

Edit:

Food order back on my website now.

So link originally in this post converted to underline.

[jdaw1]

Also, consequent to the arrival of a non-blind F66 (doff hat), further changes to the placemats, which I recognise might not be unanimously welcomed.

Surprised at the absence of complaints about the TMNT; but as the decanter labels are made it’s now too late.

Also the decanter labels have caused a comment in the software thread.

[RAYC]

Ah - ok - Hadn't realised that. I'm bottle rich cash poor at the moment so will duck out if that's ok (assuming food order is revocable at this stage and the line up hadn't changed since before I signed up - let me know if not!).

Let's put it this way, if a bottle of F66 is not enough to get you a seat at the table with no additional cost please give me the bottle of F66 and I'll cover your port (and food) costs. That way:
(a) we get the pleasure of your company, which is rather rare these days;

+1 to Rob bringing the F66 as a (sighted) extra, and counting this as his bottle & food contribution.

I'm not quite begging bowl stage yet so certainly don't need my meal paid for, and of course more than happy to make any "top up" payment if we are at more than 1 bottle per person and splitting costs of extras (or aggregating costs of all bottles) - am just trying to cut down on £150 evenings out (and I believe it is a universally accepted principle that bottles become "free" to open at the point of entry into one's cellar....)

but if we're negotiating:

- I am happy to bring both F66 and F70 as my contribution if F77 is found from elsewhere for the line-up.

- Or I can bring G70 instead if we need a replacement for DRT's bottle

[jdaw1]

F66 and G70 preferred by me.

[flash_uk]

At Mike’s request, food order moved to my website. Please let me know of changes.

I'll email you the updated version with Derek removed and Chris's selections included. Also, Woolgate has confirmed that the menu update does not affect our choices.

Edit:

Food order back on my website now.

So link originally in this post converted to underline.

[flash_uk]

F66 and G70 preferred by me.

Ditto

[jdaw1]

D70 and decanter labels now at Woolgate.

[RAYC]

Happy just to provide F66 (and participate in any cost sharing required) - just to be clear, my two alternative proposals were:

- provide G70 in place of DRT (and participate in any cost sharing required)

- provide F66 and F70 if we get a F77 in the line up (and participate in any cost sharing required)

Happy with any of those three options.

[flash_uk]

Happy just to provide F66 (and participate in any cost sharing required) - just to be clear, my two alternative proposals were:

- provide G70 in place of DRT (and participate in any cost sharing required)

- provide F66 and F70 if we get a F77 in the line up (and participate in any cost sharing required)

Happy with any of those three options.

G70 in place of DRT preferred.

[jdaw1]

G70 in place of DRT preferred.

And by me.

[CPR 1]

D77 and T77 both safely at Woolgate

[PhilW]

G70 in place of DRT preferred.

And by me.

Would make the most sense.
No F66

[Glenn E.]

Also, consequent to the arrival of a non-blind F66 (doff hat), further changes to the placemats, which I recognise might not be unanimously welcomed.

Surprised at the absence of complaints about the TMNT; but as the decanter labels are made it’s now too late.

Also the decanter labels have caused a comment in the software thread.

My sense of sanity is preserved.

I read this thread, and in passing this post I thought "what on earth do the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have to do with a Port tasting?" This was followed by several minutes perusing prior pages of the thread, desperately trying to figure out what TMNT could possibly stand for if not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But there was nothing to be found. No clues. No hints. Nothing.

At wit's end, it finally occurred to me to check the placemats themselves. Aha! Sanity preserved.

Carry on.

[Alex Bridgeman]

G77, D66 and the bonus bottle from Stephen just deposited at Woolgate.

[Axel P]

Whilst you are enjoying yourselfes on the 17th I will be hard working at Quinta da Boavista (lunch), then go to Tecedeiras and Foz Coa and have dinner at Quinta do Pego.

For the Ports I believe I should be with you - for the scenerey, I believe not.

Have as little faulty Ports as possible.

Best wishes

Axel

[jdaw1]

I could make you placemats (D66 G66 T66 W66 D70 G70 T70 W70 D77 G77 T77 W77), except all crossed out (D66 G66 T66 W66 D70 G70 T70 W70 D77 G77 T77 W77). Would that helpfully tease?