Putting aside port for a new born: Breadth vs Depth

[g-man]

So in eager anticipation of buying the 2011 vintages,

Would you guys, buy 1 case of every house declared
or buy, ie. 12 cases, of a single house.

[JacobH]

So in eager anticipation of buying the 2011 vintages,

Would you guys, buy 1 case of every house declared
or buy, ie. 12 cases, of a single house.

Hmm...Isn’t the standard ‟case put aside” a case? That way if the child grows up to like Scotch, burgundy or (whisper it) the temperance movement, s/he isn’t encumbered with 144 bottles of Vintage Port to drink. Unless that was part of the plan so you get to drink them!

Someone on told me that he had 13 bottles of Port put down for him which sounds like an excellent idea: the 13th can be drunk on the 18th or 21st birthday to see how the Port is getting on without breaking the case.

If you are going to buy a lot, I would probably proceed as you would with buying any other new release; do you usually take a selection or just one shipper? That said, whatever you buy, I do think there is something to say in concentrating on the main houses. In 21 years’ time we can pretty much guarantee that Taylor’s will still be here and still selling a high-end Vintage Port and that those with just a moderate interest in wine will know this. Considering that the person this Port is being bought for might not have that much interest in Port or wine, it would be nice to have something with the maximum ‟label impact” rather than something which might be fantastic drinking but which will be unknown.

[g-man]

I'd wholeheartedly expect my fellow TPFs to join me for a 2011 vintage port tasting offline in 20 years time

but my normal buying is alot more stringent, I'll only buy after I try the bottles and even so, I'll wait till they hit the auctino blocks.

[uncle tom]

I'd buy a single case of a big name port that has reviewed well for the vintage, and then tuck it away in good storage until your offspring is old enough to appreciate it.

Maybe don't tell them that the case exists, and surprise them with it.

Spend the rest of your cash building up your own private cellar; and drop the odd hint that if they take care of their dear old dad in his old age, they might inherit something interesting..*

If they have no taste for port, then their case can be liquidated - but you won't have the pain of seeing a dozen lovingly cared for cases suddenly flogged off cheap to settle a credit card bill.

* And if they don't, leave your cellar to The Port Society instead..

Tom

[g-man]

I'd buy a single case of a big name port that has reviewed well for the vintage, and then tuck it away in good storage until your offspring is old enough to appreciate it.

Maybe don't tell them that the case exists, and surprise them with it.

Spend the rest of your cash building up your own private cellar; and drop the odd hint that if they take care of their dear old dad in his old age, they might inherit something interesting..*

If they have no taste for port, then their case can be liquidated - but you won't have the pain of seeing a dozen lovingly cared for cases suddenly flogged off cheap to settle a credit card bill.

* And if they don't, leave your cellar to The Port Society instead..

Tom

I'll be sure to put in my will that no part of my cellar shall be sold to pay off debt my child's debt!

[JacobH]

André Simon is supposed to have been down to his last two magnums of claret when he died at the age of 93. A challenge and warning for us all!

[mosesbotbol]

I'd go with Magnums of the big names; T,F,D,C,W

Two 750's of each distinct magnum you bought
Two 375's of each disctinct magnum you bought

The leftover cash on Nacional should it be available that vintage or the closest vintage available.

The point is to have mangums for one they are older, bottles for they are ready and half bottles to build excitement until they are ready.

The Nacional is the investment of investments.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I was the person who Jacob mentioned - when I was born my grandparents bought a case and a bottle of Taylor and tucked them away in a dark, cold cellar for many years. On my 21st birthday I was given the case and we opened the odd bottle to drink after my birthday dinner. It was the impression that the wine made on me that day which really hooked me on port.

That's what I've done for my children. The only problem that I have is that they don't seem to be interested in our favourite drink at the moment...

My contingency plan is that if they don't want it, then I'll drink it! I've calculated that if I buy modestly into new releases from now on, I will be down to my last two magnums of port by the time I reach my 85th birthday.