ThePortForum.com

Go on, what was it? And Alex can tell us what it looked like.

idj123 wrote:Mmm..I took a spur of the moment decision to secure one of the lots (on-line) at Charterhouse for £90-sounds like I shouldn't expect too much!!

Would that be the Niepoort 1952 colheita and a couple of other bottles which I forget? If so, that looked to be in decent nick.

Or the "A bottle of Smith Woodhouse Fine Crusted Port, 1978, another, and six other bottles of port"; that also looked to be OK.

Or one of the lots of 6 bottles of Vau, which after VAT and BP worked out to be a little under £22 per bottle. If you got one of those you did well as they were ex-wine merchant stock and appeared to have been properly looked after, just not popular with the punters. If I needed more port for current drinking I'd have bought soem of those.

Phew-it was the second of the two Alex mentions; the SW Crusted et al. This really was a bit of a punt as I had no idea what the other bottles were! I ignored the SV as I prefer these in DM format

The below Warre is not one i have heard of. I assume it's a typo or yet another example of auction house sloppiness.

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/sign ... 225/12814/

Warre produced Colhieta under the description "Special Reserve" in the 1960, primarily for the Danish and Dutch markets (I think). I have had the 1965 and would not be surprosed if there was a 1967.

The Symingtons have also produced a number of VPs in off-vintages for individual markets (Denmark in particular) that turn up from time to time.

1967 does not appear in the draft chapter of Wiseman & Turnbull's forthcoming Magnum Opus.

A magnum opus? Or will you be covering other bottle sizes too?

A Magnum Opus - is that a Tappit Hen?

It is a book or song written about reasonably sized bottles of Port.

Looking at Strakers list I am surprised at the estimates on the Dow 77. For a wine with such a reputation it seems rather excitable to be hoping for in excess of £50 a bottle for it. But it is coming up to Christmas which always makes auctioneers frisky.

It is not widely known that D77 can be problematic - if you read Broadbent's notes, there's no suggestion of any issues.

Coincidentally, I shall be opening one later today..

Edit: A lone bottle, part of a mixed auction lot acquired a while back was duly opened last night. Cork rock hard, indicative of several years upright storage, but wine unharmed, and free of VA.

Only issue is that it is still far too young - even at 37yrs, the tannins are furring my teeth...

Interesting lot of "illegal" port listed here.

(In fact, not port at all by the look of the labels: misdescribed Vinho Tinto.)

Is anyone planning on attending Sworders sale on the 24th? There are a couple of bottles that I'd like to bid on but can't make the trip myself and would be grateful for a proxy to look at the bottles and to bid for me.

There are also some lots I'd be interested in splitting if anyone else has their eye on anything there.

I will be going to have a look on Monday 23rd, but won't be able to attend the auction itself as I have a VAT inspection that day.

AHB wrote:Is anyone planning on attending Sworders sale on the 24th?

Usually I would be, but I won't make it this time due to work I'm afraid.

Auktionsverket is doing another wine auction. Whilst the port on offer is not much to get excited about there is some old Madeira is listed which might trigger some interest, albeit it seems very keenly priced.

http://online.auktionsverket.se/auktion ... starkviner

I thought this worthy of a mention. I rather like that the people selling it are keeping 200 bottles back in case they get thirsty. Leaving a mere 40ish cases for sale.

http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/bonha ... on-286004/

Interesting that it was shipped and bottled in 1966. I don't recall seeing a three-year bottling of F63.

Presumably we are all standing back to allow AHB to buy it all?

DRT wrote:Interesting that it was shipped and bottled in 1966. I don't recall seeing a three-year bottling of F63.

Presumably we are all standing back to allow AHB to buy it all?

This is a character slur that I deeply resent. It is well known that I am not buying any more port as I have all that I am likely to need for the foreseeable future. I also have plenty of bottles of this for future reference.

However, more seriously, this is a port I really like and I have an academic curiosity to find out how this tastes compared to some of the other bottlings I have. If anyone is interested in sharing a case then please let me know.

Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

AHB wrote:Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

Are you seriously suggesting that we should open an entire case of F63 between 12 people on a single evening? Splendid - I'm in!

The ‘character slur’ tasting: of course we’re in.

Alex: choose a date and start a thread. (But it could be more than a case sampling. A case, sure, but also some bottles from other bottlers.)

So perhaps four or six from this case plus four or six from two or one other cases?

Great idea.

This, the above two posts and any others of a similar nature to be moved to the organisation thread once AHB creates it.

I would like to join this case tasting too. (F63)

And I do not think we should split the case. DRT assisted with his life coach, AHB and me are more than enough people for this case.

Think as well that we want to serve this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!!!!!



regards

WS1

Perhaps we could approach Bonhams to persuade the sellers to let us purchase a case in advance at a suitable fair rate, in order to sample it prior to the auction; I imagine for a sale of this volume they will likely open a case themselves for potential bidders prior to the event for sampling themselves at full loss, so might well be happy with such a proposal. We could then open some/all of the bottles to share, and get a good indication of quality and bottle-variation to aid decision making on subsequent participation in the auction?

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

Are you seriously suggesting that we should open an entire case of F63 between 12 people on a single evening? Splendid - I'm in!

Any updates on this wonderful idea? If it is going ahead and there is room I would like to join as the F63 is dfinitely in the top 2 ports I have ever enjoyed and I would like to try it again.

Simon

jdaw1 wrote:The ‘character slur’ tasting: of course we’re in.

Alex: choose a date and start a thread. (But it could be more than a case sampling. A case, sure, but also some bottles from other bottlers.)

Doggett wrote:

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

Are you seriously suggesting that we should open an entire case of F63 between 12 people on a single evening? Splendid - I'm in!

Any updates on this wonderful idea? If it is going ahead and there is room I would like to join as the F63 is definitely in the top 2 ports I have ever enjoyed and I would like to try it again.

Patience people, the auction is not until March. If / when a case is purchased I will start the appropriate threads.

AHB wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:The ‘character slur’ tasting: of course we’re in.

Alex: choose a date and start a thread. (But it could be more than a case sampling. A case, sure, but also some bottles from other bottlers.)

Doggett wrote:

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Or if anyone would be interested in a case sampling @ £150 per person then this sale would also be an interesting opportunity...

Are you seriously suggesting that we should open an entire case of F63 between 12 people on a single evening? Splendid - I'm in!

Any updates on this wonderful idea? If it is going ahead and there is room I would like to join as the F63 is definitely in the top 2 ports I have ever enjoyed and I would like to try it again.

Patience people, the auction is not until March. If / when a case is purchased I will start the appropriate threads.

Count me in if I am in the country. The 1963 Fonseca is probably the best port I have ever had - and why should we stop at just one case?

Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

I'd be interested. Did you mean to say 120 /bottle?

I think Alex is doing his old trick of dividing the cost of an in bond case by 10 to get roughly the price of a bottle duty and VAT cleared. So, with these lots being 24 bottles, he is dividing by 20.

DRT wrote:I think Alex is doing his old trick of dividing the cost of an in bond case by 10 to get roughly the price of a bottle duty and VAT cleared. So, with these lots being 24 bottles, he is dividing by 20.

Ah, OK. That would be 160 per bottle then.

I thought it might be because each lot of 24 includes 3 or 4 low level bottles, so might have been price for sharing the good level bottles, with the low levels assumed as minimal value.

@AHB - please clarify. Will PM regarding interest.

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

I would be interested in a couple if the option was there please.


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AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

Yes, I would be interested if you decide to bid... (Anywhere between 2 and 4 bottles to fit in with everyone else's requirements and the case lot constraint)

I think offering this around is a ploy on Alex's part to up his holding of 63 without attracting the attention of his nearest and dearest ("I'm buying it for a friend darling"). It has already gone from 12 to 24 bottles. It won't be long before those 36 bottle lots are mentioned. Lot 342 and its sixty bottles is really where he is heading...

PhilW wrote:I thought it might be because each lot of 24 includes 3 or 4 low level bottles, so might have been price for sharing the good level bottles, with the low levels assumed as minimal value.

I'm happy to take the four "minimal value" bottles

I am assuming that these hammer down close to high estimate which means after premium and duty they will average out at £160-170 per bottle. If I manage to buy all 380 bottles (for all my friends on the port forum darling) I would adjust for condition when sharing them out with the best being 10% more than average and the worst 10% less.

Does this help to clarify?

AHB wrote:Bonham's catalogue for this sale is now on their website. The big question is whether to buy more than one case.

If I went for a 24 bottle lot, would anyone be interested in taking a bottle or two from me at, say, high estimate / 20 per bottle?

Count me in for up to six bottles (fewer if they have to be rationed).

It is a pity we weren't able to buy these directly from the seller, and save ourselves the buyer's premium. Ah well, may all of our problems be so severe.

AHB wrote:Does this help to clarify?

Yes; thank you.

PhilW wrote:

AHB wrote:Does this help to clarify?

Yes; thank you.

Agreed, but AHB was still simply dividing the pre-duty price of 24 bottles by 20 to get a rough estimate of the bottle price

NEWSFLASH
The Port Forum collective was successful in buying lot 339 at the Bonhams sale today. Sadly this hammered down at top estimate of £4,800 (a little under £170 per bottle after all costs and expenses). I will keep 6 bottles back for a case tasting which means we have 30 bottles to share.

Could anyone who wants a bottle (or more) please confirm either in this thread, by PM or by email and let me know. If there are requests which total more than 30 bottles I will find a fair way to allocate them.

Nice work Alex. I'll take a couple if rationing allows.

AHB wrote:NEWSFLASH
The Port Forum collective was successful in buying lot 339 at the Bonhams sale today. Sadly this hammered down at top estimate of £4,800 (a little under £170 per bottle after all costs and expenses). I will keep 6 bottles back for a case tasting which means we have 30 bottles to share.

Could anyone who wants a bottle (or more) please confirm either in this thread, by PM or by email and let me know. If there are requests which total more than 30 bottles I will find a fair way to allocate them.

Alex, I would love to take 2 if possible. Let me know what proves fair and equitable. Ben


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Apologies to everyone for the delay, but this weekend I finally managed to inspect all 36 bottles of F63. The condition report from Bonhams was that the lot contained:
9 bottles into neck
5 base of neck
7 very top shoulder
10 top shoulder
3 high shoulder
2 high mid-shoulder

Following my review I rewaxed the bottle with the highest fill as it showed a small tear of seepage. I also recorked and rewaxed the bottle with the lowest fill as the cork had dropped into the bottle and the port was being kept in the bottle only by the seal. My inspection of the bottles has revealed the following conditions:
1 bottle into neck, rewaxed
8 bottles into neck
13 bottles base of neck
4 bottles just below base of neck
6 top shoulder
3 mid shoulder
1 low shoulder, recorked and rewaxed

Having now had the chance to inspect the bottles I will email everyone who previously expressed an interest in acquiring some of the bottles with a price and ask for a firm commitment. If anyone else would like to put their name forward, please do as I will keep a reserve list ready in case someone doesn't want their allocation.

Will anybody be attending the Bigwood wine auction this evening?

In light of the recent posts about NN31, Cheffins have a N31 up for auction next Wednesday

http://auctions.cheffins.co.uk/asp/full ... o=++157794

I shall be attending the Sworders auction next Thursday (14 Mar 19). Should anyone wish to deconflict bids or request pictures/condition of lots do let me know via PM.

I shall be attending the Cheffins auction tomorrow. Should anyone wish to deconflict bids do let me know via PM.

Lot 775 in the sale at Bellmans on 15-17 October is an Oporto-bottled Taylor's 1963, which the label says was bottled in 1966 in Oporto. This bottling is new to me. https://www.bellmans.co.uk/sales/sussex ... w-lot/775/

I shall be attending the Sworders auction next Wednesday (hopefully). Should anyone wish to deconflict bids or request pictures/condition of lots do let me know via PM.

I will be attending the Cheffins auction next week after quite some time away. Please let me know if others are attending.