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I took a case of 12 bottles of Oporto bottled Croft 1970 out of storage last week. Every bottle is showing signs of leakage, two having gone down to mid shoulder and low shoulder. The problem appears to be down to the corks.

Anyone reading this who owns Oporto bottled Cr70 might want to check the condition of their bottles. Mine are about to get relaxed.

Sadly this is not a problem for me as I had my only Croft 70 at Christmas... And what a very lovely port it was too. A stunner! So I hope you manage to enjoy the relaxation of your case and they are all good

I opened and decanted the bottle with a low shoulder fill a few minutes ago. If they are all as good as this one it will be a very enjoyable collection of bottles.

AHB wrote:I opened and decanted the bottle with a low shoulder fill a few minutes ago. If they are all as good as this one it will be a very enjoyable collection of bottles.

I think you are taking British phlegm too far. A whole case with leaks? Monstrous. You have my sympathy.

Cr70 always has low levels in my experience but I've only had a few leakers. It's always good.

Bummer to hear...a whole case at once

Andy Velebil wrote:Bummer to hear...a whole case at once

My cousin had a case of '27 Taylor that leaked out when he managed Sparks in NYC like 30 years ago...

I got 8 bottles from WineBid last summer. Some may have been past leakers, but only one of the levels seemed disproportionately low. As I recall that bottle was just below the point where the neck and bottle join, but still well above the top of the rounded shoulder. Is that called base neck? Top shoulder?

The rest are all into the neck, though most are just barely so. That seems completely reasonable for a 1970 to me, but perhaps my standards are low.

I just opened another one a week ago and rated it 90. Given past experience, that's maybe a point or two higher than Alex's bottle. We're usually 3-4 points apart, not 5. It was quite pleasant, still had minimal tannins, and was a great way to cap off an evening of bourbon. It's still very nice even a week later - I'm just about to finish up the dregs, likely tonight.

Yours sound a bit tired Glenn. My experience chimes more with Daniel in that they have always been good, but I don't remember low levels on them. I would agree with your note on that there won't be much improvement, probably time to press on, certainly so if they are leakers. Those pesky 1970 corks, worse than the 85s...

I enclose an ullage diagram, unfortunately it doesn't have 'base neck' shown. That will be found at the base of the neck, where 'top shoulder' is on this diagram. Or something. Ah fergettit.

Based on that diagram, the first one I opened was between top shoulder and upper mid shoulder. The rest are all into neck, with one or two being slightly higher than that.

This most recent bottle was the most tired of the 3 that I have opened. I rated it 90, vs 92 for each of the prior 2 bottles. It is possible that this most recent bottle's rating was affected by the bourbon tasting, though, because my palate struggled through the bourbon this time far more than it did with the first time I opened a Croft '70 after a bourbon tasting.

You drank your Cr70 after a bourbon tasting? You cur. I challenge you, sir. *throws glove on ground*

djewesbury wrote:You drank your Cr70 after a bourbon tasting? You cur. I challenge you, sir. *throws glove on ground*

Are you suggesting that there is a time when it is not appropriate to drink Croft 1970?

AHB wrote:

djewesbury wrote:You drank your Cr70 after a bourbon tasting? You cur. I challenge you, sir. *throws glove on ground*

Are you suggesting that there is a time when it is not appropriate to drink Croft 1970?

I think he is. He must be ill, we shouldn't hold it against him.

AHB wrote:Are you suggesting that there is a time when it is not appropriate to drink Croft 1970?

Yes, When, at B&F at 10:30 as an excellent tasting is drawing to a close, somebody suggests opening now — “just pop-and-pour” — a Croft 1970.

During a driving lesson?

Now you're just being absurd and taking my thread way adrift.

And while you're at it, another time when it would be inappropriate to drink a bottle of Croft would be while underwater using scuba gear. Too much salt for the Croft; Taylor would be better.

Croft or Taylor's would be very welcome underwater, although perhaps not the best match with fresh scallops. Pre-decant into Camel Back or empty Calypso Sun pouch - not pop n pour or would get very messy.