ThePortForum.com

Derek T. wrote:I vote: Ghandih Can Come

Seconded here. Especially as:

1. he’s bringing Delaforce 1966; and
2. he’s missing the 53rd CUTwC Annual Dinner the weekend before.

And, of course, current draft of placemat updated.

jdaw1 wrote:How big are the Crusting Pipe’s glasses? Twelve on one sheet is very tight: should I split into 2Ã six?

The Crusting Pipe has decent glasses for small groups but has to order in for a group as large as ours. Sadly, the glasses that they order in are only Paris goblets.

My advice to anyone who can is to bring glasses of your own to supplement or replace the Crusting Pipe's standard offer. I will bring half a dozen or so tasting glasses, depending on what I can find to carry them in safely.

Alex

jdaw1 wrote:

Derek T. wrote:I vote: Ghandih Can Come

Seconded here. Especially as:

1. he’s bringing Delaforce 1966; and
2. he’s missing the 53rd CUTwC Annual Dinner the weekend before.

As the statutory 12-hour deadline for objections against a seconded proposal has now passed, I can officially declare that:

Ghandih Can Come

Derek

To those who have championed my attendance, many thanks. I will now endeavour to clear the other impediments to attending, and will keep you posted.

I note that I'm down to bring along a bottle of Delaforce '66. I'm pretty sure there isn't one of those in my cellar, so await with some interest advice on whence this might appear.


Ghandih

Derek T. wrote: I even know where you can buy a bottle of Delaforce 1966 at a very reasonable price

I have already commenced negotiations and recieved tacit approval. Will find out exact price and let you know.

If successful, the bottle we be delivered to the venue (decanted) on the day.

Now go buy the biggest smelliest most expensive cheese you can find and tell the Mrs she and the cheese are off to Tipperary on their own

All,

To keep you posted, got provisional approval from Mrs G for the night out ('how much will it cost?' asked she, 'err, don't know' said I, 'but it is my birthday' [on the 26th]).

Now trying to persuade lawyers in Ireland they don't need my expert witnessness that evening - this could be the tricky bit.

Cheers,


Ghandih

Ghandih wrote: Now trying to persuade lawyers in Ireland they don't need my expert witnessness that evening - this could be the tricky bit.

Tell them you have been suspended from work for suspected fraud. That should seal the deal.

Derek

Working in the Legal Profession, and having had the pleasure of meeting you, I can vouch for the fact your an expert in Bugger all!!!

Hope this helps.

Alan.

Conky wrote:Working in the Legal Profession, and having had the pleasure of meeting you, I can vouch for the fact your an expert in Bugger all!!!

...but what if the case involves some horrendous crime committed as part of the Tiperary Annual Tiddlywinks Festival or the question is How to make a cooked breakfast last two and half hours?

Surely our friend Ghanidih would be a foremost authority?

Derek

I cant fault the logic....are you a Barrister?

Conky wrote:I cant fault the logic....are you a Barrister?

No. But I am a Deputy Apostrophe Crime Sheriff.

Is Ghandi going to fly back to blighty for drinks, and then back to Ireland for whatever nonsense is happening there? Sure an environmental consultant wouldn’t make so much CO2 for such a transient pleasure. Please can we be reassured that the Irish problem will be left to stew in its own juices, without further Ghahnhdhi assistance?

Christopher Gee has very kindly undertaken to bring along a Taylor 1966 and a Morgan 1966.

Jdaw, could you please do the honours in updating the list and TM as I have to go to a meeting?

Thanks - especially to Christopher

Derek

Placemats updated. Please check OK.

This is a huge tasting: fourteen 1966s and many people. Will the CP really have 200+ glasses?

I don't have fourteen Port glasses! This is going to be one hell of a horizontal, leading to some people becoming, well, horizontal.

On 6th November in the 1st post in this thread...

Derek T. wrote: 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.

Told you so

Derek

You also told us that you agreed we should have 63 v 66. Then you also told us it should only be 66 again.

You've told us quite a lot really....

Are you now saying we should add 14 x 1963s?

If we did, and drunk them until about 4 in the morning, I would guess it would be a Port Tasting never to be topped! You can have your unknowns, F Plans, 31 Nacionals... I'd plump for 14 x 66's and 14 x 63's !!!

In case anyone was wondering, here are all the known 1966 vintage ports that we do not yet have in the line-up:

Quinta do Noval Nacional
Sandeman
Niepoort
Ferriera
Gould Campbell
Messias Quinta do Cachao
Smith Woodhouse
Calem
Quinta de la Rosa
Kopke
Quarles Harris

So, it's not like we've overdone it with only 14 bottles, is it?

Derek

No, of course not, we've only got little more than half of all those produced.

Oooh Sandeman, that was nice.

Bottles:

1. 1966 Adam (JRK);
2. 1966 Avery (AHB for IW);
3. 1966 Delaforce (SRG);
4. 1966 Offley Boa Vista (ACC);
5. 1966 Robertson's Rebello Valente (JGH);
6. 1966 Berry Brothers Selection shipped by Warre's agent (JDAW);
7. 1966 Warre's (JDAW);
8. 1966 Croft (SL+KL);
9. 1966 Dow (SL+KL);
10. 1966 Fonseca (AHB);
11. 1966 Graham (ARK);
12. 1966 Morgan (CG);
13. 1966 Quinta do Noval (DRT);
14. 1966 Taylor (CG).

(In order of appearance on the current draft of placemat.) And fourteen out of twenty-five is 56%.

People:

1. JRK;
2. AHB;
3. DRT;
4. JDAW;
5. SL;
6. KL;
7. ACC;
8. JGH;
9. ARK;
10. CG (have I missed his TPF ID?);
11. IW (= Ian Wright = Manager of the Crusting Pipe);
12. APPW.

jdaw1 wrote:

• CG (have I missed his TPF ID?)

No. He's not a member. Yet.

Derek T. wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

• CG (have I missed his TPF ID?)

No. He's not a member. Yet.

We need to harangue him and also Ian Wright.

My brother writes “I'm in for Port if the numbers matter†. List amended.

Your not identical twins, are you?

No. And he’s nice.

I'll look forward to meeting him.

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

• CG (have I missed his TPF ID?)

No. He's not a member. Yet.

We need to harangue him and also Ian Wright.

I know why CG isn't a member and haranguing is not necessary and will not work. I plan to speak to him at the Offline and expect him to be a member shortly thereafter. I also know he reads this Forum so he may decide to join anyway.

I don't know why Ian Wright isn't a member, but it may be because he is too busy being a football pundit. Harangue away.

Derek

With so many people and so many wines I think we need to enforce some control on the distribution and tasting of the wines. This has developed into one of the world's greatest tastings of 1966 Vintage Port and for that reason the wines deserve some respect.

My suggestion would be that we serve the port in flights, each consisting of between 1 and 4 wines. One or two safe pairs of hands should be appointed to control the pours to ensure all participants are offered equal measure of each port. Self service will not work with these numbers.

I think it is also essential that we do not leave the expected stars to the end as (a) our tastbuds will be tired and (b) some people might be asleep or too drunk to know what they are tasting.

As a starting point I would suggest we serve the ports in the following order:

Flight 1: The Guest of Honour

• Adam's.

Flight 2: The Taylor Fladgate Trio

• Croft;
• Fonseca;
• Taylor's.

Flight 3: The Symington Quartet

• Dow's;
• Graham's;
• Warre's;
• Berry Bros.

Flight 4: The Taylor Fladgate Other Trio

• Delaforce;
• Offley Boa Vista;
• Morgan

Flight 5: The Other Three

• Avery's;
• Quinta do Noval;
• Robertson's Rebello Valente.

Thoughts?

Derek

By the time you lot have lobbed a bottle or two away, claiming it was corked! we'll be down to a bottle a guest.
If I'm asleep or very drunk, something very unusual has happened!

Otherwise, fair enough.

Alan

Works for me. I’ll rework sheets so that things can be partitioned into flights.

I very much support the idea of tasting in flights and really like the groupings that you have suggested.

My only small piece of advice would be to pour the wines in advance of the tasting starting, so that all 14 glasses are filled for all 14 people. We also need to bear in mind that we will probably want to eat before starting on the port.

We need 196 glasses so I will speak with Ian today to see if we can order more than the 144 that we already have on their way. I will also see if it would be possible for us to eat in one tunnel and then drink the port in the other. That way we will be able to set the port table up for everyone without risking knocking things over other then when we all sit down - when we should be at least risk of accidents since we will not have drunk a bottle of port each.

What time are we planning to start on Jan 28?

Alex

Great suggestion about the pre-pouring and the two tunnels. Hopefully, as its a quiet Monday, that idea might fly.

Could you also ask if there is Wireless coverage. Its not worth bringing the Laptop, if there's not.

I thought it was 13 people. Are we counting the Teddy and allocating him port?

The two tunnell approach works for me but I suppose it depends on how busy the CP is on the night. I think you should ask Ian for a few more glasses than we think we need as we may end up with more bottles on the night. I already know of 1 that is being sought as we speak

I'm staying in London so have no train to catch so start time isn't as important to me as it is to others. I can probably be there around 5:00 to 5:30 to assist with setting up the table. How does a 6:30 start sound for everyone?

What are we drinking with the steak and chips? Does anyone fancy some port?

Derek

Sometimes it feels terrible to be so far away from the island...

Anyways the Grahams Vertical is on the 02nd of Feb, so at least this time I have something to compete with.

All the best to your tasting

Axel

An opportunity has arrisen that I think we should all seriously consider.

As has been stated a number of times this Offline has reached legendary proportions in terms of the list of wines we will be drinking from what is widely regarded as one of the finest vintages in living memory. Yesterday evening I listed the known declared wines that are not yet in the line-up. The reaction to that post has been unsurprising in that some of our more enthusiatic members have gone off to seek out the wines on that list.

As a result of this I received an offer today which would allow us to add a bottle of Noval Nacional 1966 to the line-up. Without exception, commentators have hailed the Nacional to be one of the top three wines of the vintage.

The following may come as a shock to some of you if you are unfamiliar with Noval Nacional and we can explain further if that is the case.

The cost of the bottle is £550. We currently have 13 attendees, which would mean a cost of £42.30 each to add this bottle to the line-up.

This would have to be something that all attendees were happy with and i would therefore ask each of you to either respond here or PM/email me with your thoughts.

Derek

Axel P wrote:Sometimes it feels terrible to be so far away from the island...

Anyways the Grahams Vertical is on the 02nd of Feb, so at least this time I have something to compete with.

All the best to your tasting

Axel

Axel,

I know dates and locations can be inconvenient for a myriad of humdrum reasons, but theoretically, wouldn't a quiet Monday, at a quiet time of year, and with ferries available be the sort of Off-Line you could occasionally consider? Or is it too far, too much hassle, and too expensive?

London is a nuisance for me, but I have to accept that it's central(for the South of England! )

Alan.

I’m in (twice) if there’s a team consensus. But fourteen ports is more than enough to fuzz my palate — I am unconvinced that it won’t be wasteful.

For the record:

Votes FOR including the Nacional 1966: 6

Votes AGAINST including the Nacional 1966: 0

jdaw1 wrote:I’m in (twice) if there’s a team consensus. But fourteen ports is more than enough to fuzz my palate — I am unconvinced that it won’t be wasteful.

There are many in the world that would argue that thirteen grown men spending around £3000 (without the Nacional) on port, steak, trains and hotels is in itself inherintly wasteful. But what would they know

It is all about making sure you tick off those water counters on the tasting mat to keep your palate fresh. I agree that we will tire, which is why I suggested the flights. One cannot attend a legendary horizontal tasting if the horizontal line is not of legendary proportions.

I seem to recall us having a similar debate in preparation for the F-Plan.

Derek

Derek T. wrote:Votes FOR including the Nacional 1966: 6

Votes AGAINST including the Nacional 1966: 0

Either some of the votes have not been cast in the official ballot box (this thread), or this is Kenyan-style vote counting.

jdaw1 wrote: Either some of the votes have not been cast in the official ballot box (this thread), or this is Kenyan-style vote counting.

Voters had the option of casting their vote in the Caucusses or the Primaries. Only you have voted publicly.


Current updated score is:

Votes FOR including the Nacional 1966: 7

Votes AGAINST including the Nacional 1966: 1

jdaw1 wrote:

Derek T. wrote:Votes FOR including the Nacional 1966: 6

Votes AGAINST including the Nacional 1966: 0

Either some of the votes have not been cast in the official ballot box (this thread), or this is Kenyan-style vote counting.

Please note:

Derek T. wrote:either respond here or PM/email me with your thoughts.

You would have thought that an admin would have checked the facts before posting, would you not?

In the past 48 hours it seems Jdaw has been suffering from some sort of trauma resulting in him:

• missing apostrophes
• missing charachters out of words
• grovelling to other Admins
• using emoticons
• not checking facts

Can it all be blamed on Baby Wiseman?

I did warn you all

link

{Looks ashamed.}

Current updated score is:

Votes FOR including the Nacional 1966: 8

Votes AGAINST including the Nacional 1966: 1

Derek