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Clearing out a cupboard this morning I found a copy of Decanter Magazine from December 2017. By coincidence I also had a copy from December 2018 so I thought I would do a comparison of the Port prices given in their Fine Wine Price Watch over the course of 12 months. To my surprise, I found prices are reported to have generally fallen over the last 12 months!

This is what Decanter is reporting (prices per case):

1977
Croft: 960 in 2017, 800 in 2018
Dow: 855 up to 900
Fonseca: 2400 down to 1950
Graham: 850 up to 950
Sandeman: 730 up to 840
Taylor: 1195 up to 1450
Warre: 780 down to 750

1985
Dow: 540 up to 550
Fonseca: 640 down to 600
Graham: 600 up to 660
Taylor: 595 up to 600
Warre: 575 up to 600

1994
Cockburn: 350 down to 326
Croft: 450 and 450
Dow: 550 down to 520
Fonseca: 1320 down to 1140
Graham: 480 up to 500
Noval: 1280 down to 1200
Sandeman: 500 and 500
Taylor: 1195 down to 1150
Warre: 450 down to 420

I haven't been buying a lot in the last few years, but this isn't my experience!

I haven't been buying a lot in the last few years, but this isn't my experience!

Agreed. Perhaps it more reflects a more accurate assessment following 2017/prior over-estimation, rather than any recent drop. Very interesting to see the assessment comparison however.

If anyone has a copy of Decanter from December from a year before 2017, please do post the prices from those earlier editions.

The nearest copy to December 2016 that I could find that pubished port prices (going backwards by date from December 2016) was October 2016. The prices are below:

1977
Croft: 540
Dow: 600
Fonseca: 1260
Graham: 720
Sandeman: 540
Taylor: 995
Warre: 598

1985
Dow: 425
Fonseca: 550
Graham: 511
Taylor: 576
Warre: 420

1994
Cockburn: 340
Croft: 450
Dow: 450
Fonseca: 932
Graham: 480
Noval: 900
Sandeman: 500
Taylor: 1197
Warre: 400

Here is the list from the December 1983 Decanter. I will try and get to the others ASAP.


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It seems prices for the 1977s have gone up since 1983.

Here is Dec 1988


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And here is Dec 1978...


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Several of the “NS” were actually sold as SQVP or under a second name. E.g., FG58.

Has anyone got the prices from around 2006? This is when my Port buying started to accelerate and I think is a more useful guide, that is also a year or so since the time this website started.

The real increase in prices in the older ports is as they have become rarer and in my view the price of old tawny has also driven up old Vintage. When I mean older I see this as 1970 and prior , the older the port the bigger the price increase. It would be interesting to see those differences.

This year there seems to have been less Port generally at auction than previous years but that is my perception.
It is interesting to see the 85 prices, I think there is still a lot of supply around for the top names and that is holding back prices. But they are becoming relatively cheaper and of course are going to be 34 years old this year.

The amount of vintage port sold during the summer and autumn of 2017 was very low and prices ran hot due to low supply levels.

That changed in December (after Decanter would have gone press) and successive large offerings saw the last sales turn into a turkey shoot for bargain hunters..

I agree with that Tom, there was a lot of Port coming to auction at the end of 2017, this really did not happen at the end of 2018. I was very disappointed how little became available.

I wonder how much prices (and indeed supply) are influenced by currency fluctuations.