ThePortForum.com

hi all!

i see i know quite a few of you already. don't hold that against me...

and i know nothing about port, but am obviously interested in doing my homework.

Hi TBird,

I assume from your intro you are a member of another wine BB?

Welcome to the world of port. There is much to learn and even more to drink

Derek

thanks derek. yes indeed, basically every other wine forum on the planet...

here are the only ports i have in my possession, if anyone wants to tell me what to expect, drinking windows, etc... thanks in advance. also, are there any readily available ports i should/could seek out as well? again, thanks.

i have:
2003 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
N.V. Trevor Jones Jonesy Old Tawny Port
N.V. Yalumba Antique Tawny Museum Reserve

TBird wrote:i have:
2003 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
N.V. Trevor Jones Jonesy Old Tawny Port
N.V. Yalumba Antique Tawny Museum Reserve

Welcome!

Around here, Port (with a capital 'P') comes from Portugal. Anything else is at best port (small 'p') and more commonly port-style wine or fortified wine.

Your 2003 Taylor Fladgate is a monster, but still very very young. Ideally you would want to keep it for 30-40 years, but if you drink it now be prepared for lots of bold fruit flavors and a massive backbone of tannins. I've never had the 2003 Taylor, but I have had other 2003s and they all seem to follow this format due to their (lack of) age.

I've had the Yalumba Antique Tawny and it is very good, but it's more of a dessert wine than a port. It is an excellent after-dinner wine and goes very well with Crème brûlée.

I've never had the Jonesy.

Hello TBird. Welcome to ThePortForum.

Taylor 2003 eh? I am in my late thirties, and own none of this, partly because it is even money whether I will live long enough to taste it at its best. Maybe it will surprise and be mature in 2033, twenty-five years from now. But it’s as likely that it will want a decade more than that. As a comparison, Fonseca 1966 is delicious now, but I have heard some from round here say that it is still improving. Certainly quaffing F66 now is far from infanticide. The 2003s may well do likewise. Keep it in a cool still cellar; don’t touch it; don’t even look at it; and try to stay healthy enough to enjoy it a long time from now.

DRT wrote:even more to drink

Some of those around here have been working hard at reducing global Port inventories, so this might not be true.

thanks glenn! as you can tell, i'm quite cap-tarded! i was just listing those the way they copy and paste from cellar tracker...

the jonesy set me back a whopping $7.99 and came with a parker 93 point rating. while obviously subjective, i'm guessing this is at least NOT a waste of time or money...
they should arrive early next week so i'll post my impressions asap.

thanks! i bought these so i could give one to a friend who is about to become a parent and figured it would be something the kid and he can enjoy in a few decades. they were priced well($79.99) so i went ahead and included myself a few..
as for my bottles storage, i have a vinotemp(and offsite storage, but that's a whole other headache..) set at 55, so no worries there. i am older than you, so i doubt i will hit that sweet spot of a window you describe. 2033 is possible tho...

cheers!

jdaw1 wrote:Hello TBird. Welcome to ThePortForum.

Taylor 2003 eh? I am in my late thirties, and own none of this, partly because it is even money whether I will live long enough to taste it at its best. Maybe it will surprise and be mature in 2033, twenty-five years from now. But it’s as likely that it will want a decade more than that. As a comparison, Fonseca 1966 is delicious now, but I have heard some from round here say that it is still improving. Certainly quaffing F66 now is far from infanticide. The 2003s may well do likewise. Keep it in a cool still cellar; don’t touch it; don’t even look at it; and try to stay healthy enough to enjoy it a long time from now.

TBird wrote:are there any readily available ports i should/could seek out as well?

Check out this thread which is updated regularly and often reveals some gems.

You will find that people here are often happy to collaborate on purchases and share cases. It helps reduce the cost pain of growing your cellar

DRT wrote:Check out this thread which is updated regularly and often reveals some gems.

However, it also has some over-priced oddities. Don’t just buy everything blindly — unless you’re going to ask me to help you drink it.

Salut et bienvenu TBIRD . . . ( jeez , I haven't said that in a long time

I'll likely sink your budget but, as you've already courteously agreed to adopt a very fine bottle from me, I figure this can't hurt...
If you plan to drink yourself to an early grave and -- therefore -- want to ensure maximum port enjoyment in the process ( ), there are three retail places in the NY area I've found to get older bottles at reasonable prices.
http://www.sohowines.com (77's and 80/83/85 -- thanks jdaw, the Dow 95 I'm bringing came from them)
http://www.winelibrary.com (the graham's 80's and 83's are from here, they also have dow's 94 at a decent price ($73 for WS97) . There's a case worth of graham's on their racks with raised corks, so don't let them pick bottles for you).
Warehouse Wines on broadway near astor place (jdaw and I went there and, while we have found the wines purchased to be mediocre, they were really inexpensive for 94's-97's and they had plenty of them)

Hey TBird, great to have you on here. Sorry I didn't see this earlier, life's been a bit weird.

Those that don't know of TBird, we've been conversing for about six years on WineSpectator and other boards and have met up a few times in New York. He is a cool dude and plays bass in a heavy rock band called Mojo Rib. He has a delightful wife who is a rock journalist and produces the radio show of an absolute legend - no names, no pack drill. If anybody needs to know anything at all about Californian wines, then ThirdBase (oops TBirdBass) is your man, but he knows a fair amount about a hell of a lot of other stuff as well.

Welcome aboard and have fun.

Alex

thanks alex! i'm jumping in head first, as usual...

ps - i'm still drinking that white tea you left me...

TBird wrote:thanks alex! i'm jumping in head first, as usual...

ps - i'm still drinking that white tea you left me...

I bet the creme eggs have gone though.

ooh that tea you picked up in china town that day was for Tbird?!?
heh.

LONG gone...

KillerB wrote:

TBird wrote:thanks alex! i'm jumping in head first, as usual...

ps - i'm still drinking that white tea you left me...

I bet the creme eggs have gone though.

shameless plug alert, but here is the best place for such, i assume...

my bands latest video:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JpO25M988

my wife's radio show:
http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/

What's the shame !!
As long as the main caracter maintains a healthy interest in Port .
Hell , I used to have a very healthy interest in VP and Peanut butter . . .

TBird wrote:shameless plug alert, but here is the best place for such, i assume...

my bands latest video:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JpO25M988

my wife's radio show:
http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/

you look different with glasses and hair in your face =)

lol, so would you!

that shoot was at 6am and i had not slept yet . the glasses were a necessity, not a fashion statement...

g-man wrote:you look different with glasses and hair in your face =)

understanding those things i bought from australia aren't permissable , i think i've quickly upped a few purchases and these are now resting comfortably in my vinotemp:
2003 Churchill Porto Vintage(5)
1997 Churchill Porto Vintage(1)
1994 Dow Porto Vintage(1)
2003 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage(1)
2003 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage(1)

still nothing too accessable for awhile, but i'm working on that. awaiting two purchases of:
1977 smith woodhouse
1997 delaforce

i'm trying here, but please feel free to pm me with any deals there are to be had.

eyes wide open...

TBird wrote:here are the only ports i have in my possession, if anyone wants to tell me what to expect, drinking windows, etc... thanks in advance.

Great start to filling the vinotec with port. The Dow '94 is drinkable now but will be better in years to come.

The Smith Woodhouse '77 is a fabulous port. Enjoy.

AHB wrote:Great start to filling the vinotec with port. The Dow '94 is drinkable now but will be better in years to come.

The Smith Woodhouse '77 is a fabulous port. Enjoy.

I concur with the sentiment over the Smiff-Woody, an excellent Port, even though my TNs are still at Joost's house or more likely a Dutch landfill site. It was a very healthy looking Port and I remember it being sumptuous. Then the haze descended.

add 2 1985 croft's. can't find any tn's on it tho...