ThePortForum.com

Theme: Seventy-Five at Forty.

When: 6½pm on Tuesday 15^th December 2015.

Venue: The Red Room, The Boot & Flogger, 10-20 Redcross Way, London SE1 1TA, tel +44 20 7407 1184 (streetmap.co.uk, bing, maps.google.co.uk).

Attendees:

1. EDN;
2. MN;
3. THRA (Cá, Ck, Cr, Df, D, F, GC, G, Ni, N, SW, T, W);
4. JDAW (—);
5. IDJ (Taylor and Offley);
6. WPS (Quarles Harris);
7. MPM;
8. CPR (—);
9. SH (—);
10. SCD;
11. AP;
12. TC.

Current draft of the food order.

Wines available from me (but would need logistical help if supplying all…)

1. Cálem;
2. Cockburn;
3. Croft;
4. Delaforce;
5. Dow;
6. Fonseca;
7. Gould Campbell;
8. Graham;
9. Niepoort;
10. Noval;
11. Smith Woodhouse;
12. Taylor;
13. Warre.

Current draft of the placemats (also, parameters by which made). (Do not print from this link. A few days before the tasting there will temporarily be a different link, to counteract problems with the caching of old drafts.)

My opinion of the 1975 has improved. Subject to permission, yes please.

I have none.

I'd also be keen please, also subject to permission. I think I have one 1975, but will not be back home to check until Tuesday.

Count me in for this. Although readily available I tend to shun the 75s and so am only able to offer Taylor and Offley I believe.

I am interested subject to work stuff allowing me to fit this in. If I am attending I would have to adopt please.

DRT wrote:I am interested subject to work stuff allowing me to fit this in. If I am attending I would have to adopt please.

same here; will try to come and would bring Quarles Harris.

regards

WS1

Please add me. Must adopt.

I'm not sure. That week is a pretty busy week for me workwise, I'm already in the position of not being able to wholly indulge as normal at the Xmas offline as I have had a 3 line whip imposed on me for a meeting on the Friday.

I had better be a reserve and let others take confirmed seats.

AHB wrote:I'm not sure. That week is a pretty busy week for me workwise, I'm already in the position of not being able to wholly indulge as normal at the Xmas offline as I have had a 3 line whip imposed on me for a meeting on the Friday.

I had better be a reserve and let others take confirmed seats.

Hmm; you know that after a tasting is before the next tasting....

It will be a very hard week; I am sure you remember the saying: "whatever does not kill us makes us stronger...."

In my eyes you should join and do not give this a miss; in order to avoid wasting port I am thinking of sharing my seat with a friend. And for God's sake it will be very close to Christmas overall.

So get on with it and join us

means

WS1

WS1 wrote:in order to avoid wasting port I am thinking of sharing my seat with a friend.

Please don’t let our friendly not-for-profit definitely-for-fun tastings become professional tastings in which people pay $50 for a second person with shared pours. Please, let’s not go in the direction of 28 people squeezed into the Red Room. Ick! If that day you’re not thirsty, just pour a little less. If you are thirsty and have cleared your glasses, then drink and enjoy what remains in the bottles.

Others might disagree. If there is much discussion it might be move to a separate thread.

WS1 wrote:So get on with it and join us

Wolfgang’s instruction to Alex is entirely sensible.

jdaw1 wrote:

WS1 wrote:in order to avoid wasting port I am thinking of sharing my seat with a friend.

Please don’t let our friendly not-for-profit definitely-for-fun tastings become professional tastings in which people pay $50 for a second person with shared pours. Please, let’s not go in the direction of 28 people squeezed into the Red Room. Ick! If that day you’re not thirsty, just pour a little less. If you are thirsty and have cleared your glasses, then drink and enjoy what remains in the bottles.

Others might disagree. If there is much discussion it might be move to a separate thread.

I had still the hope that this tasting will be filling up completly and we do prepours in order to have a proper asessment of the 75s; hence my suggestion. If we are just do a best of 75s and we do pouring as needed I take up your suggestion. I am very interesting to see how the 75s are holding up. I feel they passed their dull phase.

regards

WS1

jdaw1 wrote:

WS1 wrote:in order to avoid wasting port I am thinking of sharing my seat with a friend.

Please don’t let our friendly not-for-profit definitely-for-fun tastings become professional tastings in which people pay $50 for a second person with shared pours. Please, let’s not go in the direction of 28 people squeezed into the Red Room. Ick! If that day you’re not thirsty, just pour a little less. If you are thirsty and have cleared your glasses, then drink and enjoy what remains in the bottles.

Others might disagree. If there is much discussion it might be move to a separate thread.

I entirely agree.

DRT wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

WS1 wrote:in order to avoid wasting port I am thinking of sharing my seat with a friend.

Please don’t let our friendly not-for-profit definitely-for-fun tastings become professional tastings in which people pay $50 for a second person with shared pours. Please, let’s not go in the direction of 28 people squeezed into the Red Room. Ick! If that day you’re not thirsty, just pour a little less. If you are thirsty and have cleared your glasses, then drink and enjoy what remains in the bottles.

Others might disagree. If there is much discussion it might be move to a separate thread.

I entirely agree.

am confused now since at the 45 tasting I was sure you were unhappy too much port ending in the buckets. Also I have never done commercial tastings nore intend to or need to. So I am not sure about what my suggestion sharing with a friend causing so much offence with you. If you promise to clear up my remains there is no need me bring a friend...

At the 45 tasting you did not or choose not to clear them.

regards

WS1

I'm not offended at all Wolfgang, I am simply agreeing with Julian's view that we don't want our tastings to turn into the sort of event he describes.

The problem at the 1945 tasting was very different as we had far more bottles than could possibly have been drunk by the number of people there and we knew that some of them were likely to be over the hill. That, in my view, was wasteful.

So I will rely on Julian and you to drink up my remains...

OK?

regards

WS1

I am sure they will be taken care of

Yes please - I will need to adopt as I have not a single bottle of 75!

uncle tom wrote:Wines available from me (but would need logistical help if supplying all…)

It seems quite simple: only Tom has many ’75s. Wolfgang has Quarles Harris; Ian has Offley and Taylor; Tom has everything else.

But that is a luggage problem. Tom, should I ask the B&F whether they would store some Port from 9th September (E2>V) until the 1975 event? That would allow the logistics to be spread over multiple trips to London?

And in the same call I will book the Red Room for Tuesday 15^th December 2015.

Edit: The Red Room at The Boot & Flogger (+44 20 7407 1184) has been booked for Tuesday 15th December. Normally December bookings need a deposit, but because it is us, not us. I undertook to send promptly any change of date or mind. The B&F’s Tom also said that he was willing to label a shelf in the cellar as being for our use — though presumably it would be prudent to label each bottle carefully as well.

And placemats added to first post. Alphabetical flighting not optimal: please suggest better.

I'm unlikely to be able to make another tasting in London in the same week as the TPF Xmas event, unless by some miracle I suddenly turn out not to busy with work in the fortnight leading up to Xmas; this does not seem likely at the moment.

Tom, should I ask the B&F whether they would store some Port from 9th September

That's an idea - if I bring a six pack down next week, that would ease the burden in December..

Hi Tom,
If there is still space I would like to come along. Would be flying down from Scotland to attend and new to this. Only recently started a modest VP collection/appreciation and keen to learn. Let me know what the form is (adopt a bottle/ share cost etc?) and whether there is a free space.
Cheers
Steve

ProfS wrote:If there is still space I would like to come along. Would be flying down from Scotland to attend and new to this. Only recently started a modest VP collection/appreciation and keen to learn. Let me know what the form is (adopt a bottle/ share cost etc?) and whether there is a free space.

Hello ProfS. The rule is that “something fair will happen”. As Tom is providing most of the bottles for this event, costs will be shared. On the evening we will split the food bill, which will be £40 or £45 per head (policy is to tip generously, as penance for not paying corkage). Other than that your tasks are to be entertaining, and not to wear perfume.

For the placemats, what are your initials, and are you a leftie?

Sounds good. Initials SH. Not a leftie. Perfume locked away. Brushing up on scintillating chat.

ProfS wrote:Sounds good. Initials SH. Not a leftie. Perfume locked away. Brushing up on scintillating chat.

That, and some internet rummaging, has convinced me that you are one of us. We look forward to seeing you at this tasting.

If there is room, I would like to come along for the 75@40 tasting in December at the wonderful Boot.
I would need to adopt a bottle for this tasting if there is room for another and someone could kindly help me with a bottle from the vintage? hope to see you there...

SCD added to first post and to placemats.

As ownership of bottles is concentrated amongst only a few of us (several people having none), it likely that we’ll share costs rather than adopt individual bottles.

Looking at the bottle line up there is a noticeable gap which seems rather elusive..

Does anyone have a Sandeman '75 in their cellar??

Hi Tom,

If no one has the S75 then I have seen them listed here. It is claimed they are shipped straight from the Sandeman cellars. I would be happy to purchase as my contribution if that would help? I am not sure what the opinion of this supplier is, so any thoughts appreciated.

http://www.vintagewineandport.co.uk/vin ... 1975-wine/

Doggett wrote:http://www.vintagewineandport.co.uk/vin ... 1975-wine/

£90 is over-priced for a 1975.

Have you tried wine-searcher.com?

jdaw1 wrote:

Doggett wrote:http://www.vintagewineandport.co.uk/vin ... 1975-wine/

£90 is over-priced for a 1975.

Have you tried wine-searcher.com?

thanks for the tip, I have had a look and MWH has a much more reasonable listing of 11 bottles @ £55. will keep researching.

I looked at wine-searcher initially and didn't see any Sa75, but now see MWH has some at a tolerable price - will contact..

jdaw1 wrote:We look forward to seeing you at this tasting.

Travel booked. See you all on 15th (if not before).

Hi Tom,

please put me on as well.

I would have additionally:

Dow from Magnum
Graham from Magnum
Messias
Quarles Harris

Axel

Hi guys
Is there a spare berth at this one?
Let me know if so or one becomes available - I have a few from this year
Incidentally looking at the thread I can donate a mag of Sa 75
Best wishes
Tony

On Tom’s behalf AP and TC added to first post.

Tom: you are being offered magnums. You need to shape this tasting.

jdaw1 wrote:On Tom’s behalf AP and TC added to first post.

Tom/jdaw would you be able to add me to the attendee list?

ProfS wrote:Tom/jdaw would you be able to add me to the attendee list?

My fault—forgot. Now done, and I think in the correct order.

jdaw1 wrote:On Tom’s behalf AP and TC added to first post.

Tom: you are being offered magnums. You need to shape this tasting.

Indeed! Apparantly though he is busy sourcing Ck1908 Magnums first....

I don't have any magnums of '75 but now they're popping up..

What do people think? Shall we go for mags wherever possible, so we all get several well filled glasses?

There is a danger that mags will distort the result of this tasting. I thought the purpose was to determine whether or not 1975 VP has turned a corner and become worth buying. Mags are likely to have evolved in a different way to the standard bottles that are generally available. Do we still have the same objective or has this turned into something else?

Personally, I'd be happy to taste a G75 or D75 Mg alongside the standard* format to ascertain the difference in evolution between the two and if we're after the inclusion of S75 and haven't got the standard* format then there seems no harm in including the S75 Mg.

*by 'standard' I of course mean everyone else's standard and not JDAW's!

idj123 wrote:*by 'standard' I of course mean everyone else's standard and not JDAW's!

My standard 1975 is none at all, which we agree would be wrong at this tasting.

jdaw1 wrote:

idj123 wrote:*by 'standard' I of course mean everyone else's standard and not JDAW's!

My standard 1975 is none at all, which we agree would be wrong at this tasting.

The most experiences of 1975 port I have is for Cockburns since I had a sixpack. The one I like most so far is Niepoort.

regards

WS1

DRT wrote:There is a danger that mags will distort the result of this tasting. I thought the purpose was to determine whether or not 1975 VP has turned a corner and become worth buying. Mags are likely to have evolved in a different way to the standard bottles that are generally available. Do we still have the same objective or has this turned into something else?

Which idiot stole my login and posted this nonsense!!

The more mags the merrier I say!!

I can supply a Dow '75.

I would like to see the Mags alongside with the regular wine as this would very much again show the difference and tell us how a normal bottle was some 10-15 years ago. My Mags were recently bought directly from the Symington cellar, so fairly good provenance.

@Tom: let me know when and where to send them or to bring them to the 85 horizontal

Axel

Looking at the volume of port per capita, and not wanting wastage, I'm thinking that with the addition of a QH (bottle) and Sa (Mag) to my original list, the addition of one mag vs bottle comparison would bring us to saturation point, - or would people rather pig out..??

uncle tom wrote:Looking at the volume of port per capita, and not wanting wastage, I'm thinking that with the addition of a QH (bottle) and Sa (Mag) to my original list, the addition of one mag vs bottle comparison would bring us to saturation point, - or would people rather pig out..??

It is 1975 - lots of it can be sent to the kitchen if not wanted.

I am now uncertain as to whether I can attend. I will update soon but it is looking more unlikely than likely.