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We have a plan.

19:30 Friday 7th November 2008, Nick + Stef’s, 9 Penn Plaza at Madison Square Garden, 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue, NY 10121-0111.

By bottle:

1. 1873 Schofield (FF);
2. 1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia (AHB);
3. 1932 Butler Nephew (ED);
4. 1938 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by GEE);
5. 1942 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by MW);
6. 1944 Hooper (JHG);
7. 1947 Barros (JDAW);
8. 1952 Barros (JDAW);
9. Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996 (JDAW).

By person:

1. FF (1873 Schofield);
2. AHB (1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia);
3. ED (1932 Butler Nephew);
4. GEE (1938 Hooper);
5. MW (1942 Hooper);
6. JHG (1944 Hooper);
7. JDAW (1947 Barros; also 1952 Barros; also Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996).

Looks good. Indeed, looks so good that I have asked my cellar keepers to bring my four bottles in to Manhattan. (And if needed I have another O&O to hand.)

(Request to g-man: when copying lists, please use the ‘Quote’ button to copy the BB code, rather than copying the plained output text.)

I do not have a +1 - my wife is not a Port drinker and will not be attending the Port tasting.

OK: the ‟¿GEE’s + 1?” has been deleted in the post starting this page.

While I wish I could attend my employer has other plans for me that weekend. Sorry guys and I am so jealous UGH

While I wish I could attend my employer has other plans for me that weekend. Sorry guys and I am so jealous UGH

omg, my apologies as well . i just told my wife i would be out that night and she reminded me of previous plans .

color me jealous at this point too.

my apologies.

differentdave wrote:While I wish I could attend my employer has other plans for me that weekend. Sorry guys and I am so jealous UGH

Your previous plans are less important. And you agreed to this eight years ago or so you could tell them.

i like the way you think.

i'll work on it, but if someone steps in to fill my shoes, please allow them to do so without checking on me first.

jdaw1 wrote:Your previous plans are less important. And you agreed to this eight years ago or so you could tell them.

Bring your wife to the tasting, telling her that you just want to stop by to say 'hi' and then you can go on to your other activities.

We'll supply her with enough Port that she won't be able to contradict you the next morning when you tell her that you did, in fact, go on to your other activity! And we'll provide you with 7 witnesses who will all swear that you did, in fact, leave the tasting earlier than the rest of us though none of us can recall at precisely what time you left.

Or become terribly ill. So ill that you are unable to go to the other function with the wife and instead will just stay at home and watch television. Then, perhaps three minutes after she leaves, start to feel better and decide go out ‟just for one, for medical purposes only, with some friends”.

To make it plausible the following day you can feign a headache and extreme tiredness.

jdaw1 wrote:Or become terribly ill. So ill that you are unable to go to the other function with the wife and instead will just stay at home and watch television. Then, perhaps three minutes after she leaves, start to feel better and decide go out ‟just for one, for medical purposes only, with some friends”.

To make it plausible the following day you can feign a headache and extreme tiredness.

yea you just gotta remember to brush the teeth before you hit the sack =)

I can make it so I'm still on for O&O.

Somebody has to ask about decanting times.

1. 1873 Schofield (FF);
2. 1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia (AHB);
3. 1932 Butler Nephew (ED);
4. 1938 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by GEE);
5. 1942 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by MW);
6. 1944 Hooper (JHG);
7. 1947 Barros (JDAW);
8. 1952 Barros (JDAW);
9. Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996 (JDAW).

My strongly-held view is that I have no idea. Perhaps four hours for all of them?

looking at the pale color of my bottle,
I'm scared and would rather pop and pour.
Tho, i don't know how that's going to work with decanting out sediments if the only time I get is before I head to work.

I was going to bring a funnel and coffee filters to the restaurant.

In my brief experience so far, I have found that pop & pour tends to work pretty well for my palate, especially as the Port gets older. It is particularly true for tawnies, and though none of these qualify some of them may be old enough that it holds true anyway.

I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever the more experienced among us determine is correct enough for our purposes.

I'll be there although 7:30 pm is getting mighty close to my bedtime.

On decanting, I'll decant right before jumping on the subway, i.e., about an hour before we start tasting.

What are we doing about glasses? Is the restaurant providing enough or should we bring some?

jfacciol wrote:I'll be there although 7:30 pm is getting mighty close to my bedtime.

On decanting, I'll decant right before jumping on the subway, i.e., about an hour before we start tasting.

What are we doing about glasses? Is the restaurant providing enough or should we bring some?

Okay, I'll bump the reservation up to 7pm when I get closer to final numbers. Looks to be 8? (2 spots available still)

The restaurant has big bordeaux glasses, so I know Julian would definitely prefer port style glasses. They said they're happy to accommodate.

jdaw1 wrote:1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia (AHB);

Alex has sent a picture:

‟Elviro Garcia”? ‟Rare lodge port”? With ‟1896” that can fairly be said to be ‟Old & Odd”.

G-man’s picture:

Greetings:

I will be teaching downtown that evening until about 9:30 PM but if you are likely to still be at the restaurant up through 10PM, I would love to pop in with a dessert Port and to say hello and have a taste together. (I will look at the list so I don't duplicate anyone's). (Luckily I am on the #2 and 3 line so it won't take long to get to the restaurant)

We’ll be there.

Julian, do you want to bring a box of glasses and I'll bring a box?

I’ll bring my box of glasses.

Jay: I used to have two types of INAO/ISO3591 glass. Some with the rolled edge, and some with a thinner edge. They became muddled one tasting, and then my muddled set became muddled with your two boxes of rolled-edges. If you have the time and enthusiasm, please could I recover my (slightly-better) thinner-edge glasses put all of them in the box you’re bringing, and I’ll keep those and part with rollers. Thank you.

Another bottle I forgot: idiot! But don’t get too excited.

The front label wrote:Porto
Vintage Character
Meio Seco
!
Quinta do Infantado

The back label wrote:This high quality Porto was made from Organically grown grapes, respecting both ecological cycles and the environment. After a completely natural maturation in casks, 7.000 bottles were Estate Bottled on October 1996, without filtering nor fining.
!
Bottle No. 6655

This bottle added to the lists in posts above.

I used to have two types of INAO/ISO3591 glass. Some with the rolled edge, and some with a thinner edge. They became muddled one tasting, and then my muddled set became muddled with your two boxes of rolled-edges. If you have the time and enthusiasm, please could I recover my (slightly-better) thinner-edge glasses put all of them in the box you’re bringing, and I’ll keep those and part with rollers.

Ah, homework. I will certainly try to separate the glasses if I can detect the difference.

As for decanting times. I would guess that pop-and-pour for the two 1800's Ports. That way you can evaluate them over a couple of hours and se where they go. Better to air on the side of caution in case they don't hold up all that well once opened.

As for the others, I'd say between 2-4 hours. Better to go a little shorter and slowly taste them over several hours and see how they open up then decant for too long and not catch them at their prime.

New page, so a reminder of the state of play won’t hurt.

19:00 Friday 7th November 2008, Nick + Stef’s, 9 Penn Plaza at Madison Square Garden, 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue, NY 10121-0111.

By bottle:

1. 1873 Schofield (FF);
2. 1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia (AHB);
3. 1932 Butler Nephew (ED);
4. 1938 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by GEE);
5. 1942 Hooper (JDAW);
6. 1944 Hooper (JHG);
7. 1947 Barros (JDAW);
8. 1952 Barros (JDAW);
9. Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996 (JDAW).

By person:

1. FF (1873 Schofield);
2. AHB (1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia);
3. ED (1932 Butler Nephew);
4. GEE (1938 Hooper);
5. JHG (1944 Hooper);
6. JDAW (1942 Hooper; 1947 Barros; also 1952 Barros; also Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996);
7. DCP, guest of JDAW;
8. BS, guest of JDAW.

(And if needed I have another O&O to hand.) Dress code: cufflinks, of course.

Changes: Quinta do Infantado Vintage Character added; start time now 7pm; MW deleted from attendees; DCP + BS added to list of attendees.

Andy V wrote:Better to air on the side of caution

Commendation for the pun assuming that you meant to substitute ‟air” for ‟err”.

jdaw1 wrote:

Andy V wrote:Better to air on the side of caution

Commendation for the pun assuming that you meant to substitute ‟air” for ‟err”.

Look, in the past 4 days I've work in the neighborhood of 65+ hours...no Port...I'm tired, cranky, and don't give a rats arse about spelling correctly at the moment...then again, maybe because I just finished a 1/2 bottle of VP after only intending to have one or two glasses ma have something to do with that

jdaw1 wrote:Somebody has to ask about decanting times.

1. 1873 Schofield (FF);
2. 1896 ‘Refreshed’ Garcia (AHB);
3. 1932 Butler Nephew (ED);
4. 1938 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by GEE);
5. 1942 Hooper (JDAW, adopted by MW);
6. 1944 Hooper (JHG);
7. 1947 Barros (JDAW);
8. 1952 Barros (JDAW);
9. Vintage Character, Quinta do Infantado, bottled October 1996 (JDAW).

My strongly-held view is that I have no idea. Perhaps four hours for all of them?

I haven't had any of these. Given the age and the fact that these are from lower league producers (for VP) I would be tempted to pop-pour-taste one at a time over an hour or two and then watch them evolve throughout the evening.

Derek

Somebody has to ask about decanting times.

That's such an unusual lineup of vintages, its hard to advise!

However, I'm beginning to suspect that after decanting, warm conditions are the death of mature ports, and that they may evolve better if they are kept fairly cold..

- am experimenting..!

Tom

But at the Cockburn tasting Miguel insisted on a longer decant for the oldies, and was right. I don’t know either.

What about a 12-year-old vintage character? Surely somebody can say something helpful about that?

jdaw1 wrote:But at the Cockburn tasting Miguel insisted on a longer decant for the oldies, and was right. I don’t know either.

But I think Miguel was advising on those specific Cockburn vintages, not old and fragile wines in general. Don't throw away your former approach to such things based on one experience! You have 7 people and 9 bottles so there is plenty to allow you to decant and taste a glass and leave another glass in the decanter for Round 2 a few hours later. This could be turned into a useful experiment if you decant all of them and then serve as 2 flights which are 3-4 hours apart.

jdaw1 wrote:What about a 12-year-old vintage character? Surely somebody can say something helpful about that?

I would give it at least 4 hours but would not expect too much from it. I have some old Vinatge Character that I use to rinse decanters

Derek

Reservations are confirmed

Friday 7th November 2008, Nick + Stef’s,
9 Penn Plaza at Madison Square Garden, 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue,
NY 10121-0111.

7:00 pm EST
for 8 people.

I have some old Vinatge Character that I use to rinse decanters

An appropriate deployment!

Tom

Given the generous offer from our hostess to halve the corkage fee or waive it if we order something of the same value (=9 x $12.50 = $112.50) from the wine list, can we post here and discuss any port options there may be available? I would much rather pay $112.50 and get something than pay simply to open our own bottles.

Alex

Start time amended to 19:00 in most recent summary post, and MW deleted from attendees.

Wine list seemingly devoid of port. Unless several bottles of our port prove undrinkable, we already have enough to stave off the most urgent symptoms of thirst. (Nine bottles, six people, time limited.) Anybody for an extra Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose?

I’ll try for an extra person.

uncle tom wrote:

I have some old Vinatge Character that I use to rinse decanters

An appropriate deployment!

Tom

You should know - they used to belong to you

jdaw1 wrote:Start time amended to 19:00 in most recent summary post, and MW deleted from attendees.

Wine list seemingly devoid of port. Unless several bottles of our port prove undrinkable, we already have enough to stave off the most urgent symptoms of thirst. (Nine bottles, six people, time limited.) Anybody for an extra Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose?

I’ll try for an extra person.

Here's the port list

Some poo always pairs well, esp with a seafood platter.

Ahhh, well found though there is a better link. A half bottle and a glass of Dow 1980 would do the job perfectly.

The new decanting plan:

• 4 hours: Infantado Vintage Character;
• Pop-and-pour: all others.

I have gathered 0 or 1 or 2 extra people.

Pop and pour? How are we supposed to do this at a restaurant? Are we going to whip out coffee filters, cheesecloth and funnels? Somehow, I don't see it. And I certainly would not trust the waiter or sommelier to do a proper job in decanting. My expectation would that we would be either drinking a lot of sediment or missing a lot of port.

On a separate note, Julian's idea would work fine but I am more tempted by the 20 year old tawnies.

I agree with Jay, pop and pour should be clarified.

I meant along the lines of, right before people swing out to the restaurant, to decant and pour back into bottles.

As with my bottle, I've already stood it up so the sediment is probably at the bottom, but I'll keep it at a cooler temperature and probably decant to filter sediment before i head out to owrk.

So much for the port tongs

jfacciol wrote:Are we going to whip out coffee filters, cheesecloth and funnels?

That’s what I meant. I can bring two funnels and a box of coffee filters. We need only to borrow one or two decanters and a faucet.

jfacciol wrote:more tempted by the 20 year old tawnies.

Works for me.

jdaw1 wrote:

jfacciol wrote:Are we going to whip out coffee filters, cheesecloth and funnels?

That’s what I meant. I can bring two funnels and a box of coffee filters. We need only to borrow one or two decanters and a faucet.

Julian, the restaurant is laid out in such a way that I think it might be very disruptive if you were to swipe their faucet.

I would recommend that those of us who can filter and decant at home should try and do so.

We could probably get 1 or 2 decanters tho for us to use ourselves.

OK, last-minute home double decanting, except the two eighteen-hundreds which should be done there.

jfacciol wrote:On a separate note, Julian's idea would work fine but I am more tempted by the 20 year old tawnies.

I vote for a bottle of the Taylor 20-yr old at $120. Granted that's an outrageous price for the bottle, but we're already opening possibly 9 bottles of VP so having some tawny would be nice.

I'm not a wine drinker, so I have no vote if you choose to purchase a bottle of wine.

20Y tawny fine with me.

I think we have two extra guests both highly probably, neither yet confirmed.

Drew C. Phillips confirmed. Port novice; sound fellow.

Also confirmed is Ben Schonzeit.