ThePortForum.com

A question from Alex B prompted this question in my mind. Which vintage should I lay down for my son who is due in July 2008? Ideas and suggestions (sensible or otherwise!) appreciated.

Way too early to say. I would wait what the 2008 will bring. I have the same problem with 99 and 02. If you are happy with any VP near 2008... I would wait what 08 will bring.

Axel

I'm hoping that 2008 will be a good year too, as I'd love to have a couple of cases from the year I got married. But even if will not be a fully declared vintage, there will be one or two gems to find. Unless it'll be another 1993.

I am about to be an uncle again, so a case of something will be needed.

While the vintage isn't the same, the fiance and I bought a double mag of a California Cabernet and the winery sent the bottle to an engraver for us.

The label and personalization are all engraved in gold and colored ink.



It kind of looks like that picture, but much bigger and without the personalization.

Ben,

Patience is the key. We won't know exactly how 2008 turns out until somewhere around October 2009-April 2010. There are enough wine-producing areas in the world that it means that you certainly won't have a problem finding something for the baby, but you don't need to worry yet about what that should be.

Perhaps it could be port, but who can tell at the moment.

Alex

Alex,

My thought was more along the lines that as my grandfather laid down a crate of Dow 1960 for a 1970 child, what would my options be? It must be Port though.

2000 or 2003 are obvious ones! I just wondered what else people might suggest and whether any specific houses?

It's a personal thing. If you're looking for a top-notch vintage from a year close to but earlier than 2008, there are thoughts that 2007 might bring some good ports - but be selective.

2003 and 2000 were clearly great years and there are plenty of those wines around. Stick with a top name such as Taylor, Fonseca, Graham etc and you won't go wrong.

But, I come back to the personal thing. I was born in '63. When I was 21, my grandparents gave me a case and a bottle of Taylors 1963 vintage port. The extra bottle was opened on my 21st birthday and shared by the family. That, and a handful of other experiences, was what hooked me on vintage port. There is something marvellous about opening a bottle of port from the year you were born and even people who were not born in great vintage years enjoy celebrating their birthdays with a bottle of birth year port. Derek can tell you all about his hunt for 1965 VPs.

I guess the ideal solution is that you buy both! Buy a case of 1997/2000/2003 VP for your baby during this year and buy a case of 2008 VP if and when something is released. There is always something available, even in the worst year in living memory (1993) there was one producer who made a vintage port.

If you don't want to buy 2 full 12 bottle cases, most shippers these days also release 6 bottle cases.

I can also see that soon we are going to have to give you some thoughts on storing your wines away from home in professional offsite storage...

Alex

PS - Consider laying down Vesuvio, a wine from a single vineyard in the Upper Douro and producing a vintage in 9 out of every 10 years. Since 1994, their wines have been top notch.

AHB wrote: PS - Consider laying down Vesuvio, a wine from a single vineyard in the Upper Douro and producing a vintage in 9 out of every 10 years. Since 1994, their wines have been top notch.

I disagree with alex on this one. Vesuvio does not yet have a track record that shows it can age for 21 years effortlessly

g-man wrote:I disagree with alex on this one. Vesuvio does not yet have a track record that shows it can age for 21 years effortlessly

You are quite right. I have confidence from what I have tasted that they will do so, but there won't be a track record of a strong vintage maturing for 21 years until we start to open the 1994s in 2015.

My daughter was born in 1994. Guess which port I have set aside for her...

AHB wrote:

g-man wrote:I disagree with alex on this one. Vesuvio does not yet have a track record that shows it can age for 21 years effortlessly

You are quite right. I have confidence from what I have tasted that they will do so, but there won't be a track record of a strong vintage maturing for 21 years until we start to open the 1994s in 2015.

My daughter was born in 1994. Guess which port I have set aside for her...

Clearly Fonseca with the Vesuvio as a backup =)

just wanted to show you guys the bottle

Interesting bottle! - I don't think I have seen a bottle with as short a neck as this one.

Derek

it's a double mag

So far, the weather in the Douro is not very promising. Cold and lots of rain.

So far, the weather in the Douro is not very promising. Cold and lots of rain.

Certainly very wet of late, but that's not a disaster (yet..)

The Sym's site is still missing it's 'insider' report for April..

Tom