ThePortForum.com

Hello port lovers

I'll confess right now I'm not a Port expert! Which is why I've found this forum, as I have a question...

I have two unopened bottles of port from last Christmas - both were presents to my husband. One is Churchills Reserve Port (boxed). The other is Marks and Spencers Finest Reserve Port (also says 'A mature port from the vineyards of the demarcated Douro region' on it).

Now, I've pledged to give one away to the school Christmas fair this weekend as a raffle gift. But which one do I give away and which do I keep for myself? I have absolutely no idea which is better! Hoping someone can help, although maybe neither are much cop?

Thanks for your time.
Kate

Welcome to and there will be people here who have tried both not me. But my suspicion is that, as you put it, ‟neither are much cop”.

Thanks for input, hope someone else can advise me before Saturday! I love that expression 'not much cop' but it's got me thinking, where did it come from?
Regards
Kate

Kate

My apologies, I'm only now catching up with messages that were left on the forum recently and have just come across your post. Which port did you decide to give away to the school?

Neither are great ports. Both are made from the third or fourth quality juice produced by these two producers and are blended from the juice of grapes grown across a number of locations and a number of years. Both are perfectly respectable and would be very enjoyable to drink, but neither will show all of the great ability of port to age for decades and to develop the complexity and wonder that vintage port can bring.

Personally, I would have given the school the Marks & Spencers port, as this is very easy to replace and is blended by the producer to be very consistent from year to year or batch to batch. The Churchills is more difficult to find, and is probably worthy of tucking away in a cool dark cupboard for another year or two before opening.

Alex

Thanks for reply - and - I thought as much!

Well, I gave away the Churchills as it was in a box and looked better for the raffle.

That was very informative. Your advice about putting them away for a couple of years is helpful, as, with Christmas approaching, My Husband will no doubt be getting another couple of 'not great but respectable drinking' bottles given to him through his work, so that is what we'll do with them.

Have a Port-happy Christmas!