ThePortForum.com

Hello,

I stumbled across this forum whilst online and was hoping you coud help.

My grandfather has given my wife and I a case of 12 bottles of 1970 Dow which he was given by a business associate a number of years ago. Intention is to drink our way through it rather than to sell it. We haven't opened any yet but understand it is very much drinkable now, however we were wondering how long this might remain the case? Will it still be good for another 5-10 years (presuming we keep it in the right conditions) or is it something we should be drinking ASAP?

Any help you can provide would be much appreciated

A lovely bottle of port, it is one of the best years from an excellent producer. If it has been stored sensibly it should be drinking well now and won't come to any harm over the next ten years or so. There are tasting notes on this port in the tasting note section of this forum. It is probably approaching peak now so it is time to give one a try. Give it a few hours in the decanter to let it open up a bit.

What a nice gift. It is worth something at auction, but not that much. We like to hear of people drinking their port, I hope you enjoy it.

That's great to know that it is a good port, and yes we have absolutely no intention in selling it, my family are all big port drinkers but it is has taken me until my early 30s to truely start appreciating it!

It was given to my grandfather, he thinks, at some point in the early 90s and has been gathering dust in his cellar since so I am hoping it is in pretty good condition.

Good to hear it will still be drinkable for another 5+ years, it will take us a while to work through all 12!

It has to be asked: why isn’t your grandfather a regular at our tastings?

Hah! well he spends the best part of 6 months of the year in the South of France and when he is here he is lives in the wilds of Northumberland. Not to mention the fact that he isn't particularly known as a sharer when it comes to his port.

I'll be sure to mention to him that there is a standing invitation for him.

Bob bob ricard wrote:I'll be sure to mention to him that there is a standing invitation for him.

There is also a standing invitation for you

I think Owen (LGTrotter) might be being a little conservative with his drinking widow for your port. If properly stored and cellared, I would expect Dow '70 to be drinking well still at the age of 60-70. Keep it dark, keep it cool and you should be able to still be enjoying it in another 25 years time (like you can the ports from 1945 today). But I think he's absolutely spot on when he says that this is a fabulous bottle of port.

And if you like port you are very, very welcome to invite yourself along to one of our offlines. Putting a hand up and asking to attend is how we all started and this evening three of us shared bottles of Graham 1970, Fonseca 1985 and Martinez 1997.

I must say this thread has inspired me to go and have a look at what other ports he has stored up north. He thinks he has around 20-30 other bottles (some in cases and others stand alone) and that there might be some real gems in there.

Bob bob ricard wrote:I must say this thread has inspired me to go and have a look at what other ports he has stored up north. He thinks he has around 20-30 other bottles (some in cases and others stand alone) and that there might be some real gems in there.

Please do let us know what you find. I love a bit of vicarious port finding. And Alex is quite right that the Dow will last a good long while yet.