ThePortForum.com

I posted this question in the other forum and I thought it might be interesting to see how the answers compare across the two sites.

Currently standing on Death Row I have a 1985 Kopke (actually, that was opened this morning) and then a 1987 Hutcheson. After that, I'm struggling a little to decide what to open as I seem to have developed a bit of a gap in my cellar. I think I might make it the other Roeda 1995 that I bought a month ago.

I'm curious to know what you've currently got on Death Row?

Alex

I tend not to let them know what's coming

Everything in my cellar that cost me less than £30 is always under threat, anything below £10 tends to wet the bed when they hear the cellar door opening

The more expensive inmates think they are safe but they can't log on to this Forum so never know when an Offline is on the horizon

Derek

Currently:

Warre '60
Gilbert '63 Colheita
Sandeman '66
Noval '70
Dow '75

I'm trying to avoid duplicating shippers and vintages at the moment - the next candidate is likely to be either Vesuvio '96 or Graham '83

Tom

A distinctly more Ordinary Death Row.

Martinez 85, a 10yr Warres Otima, Dry Noval White(In Fridge) and a bottle of that Warres unfiltered we all bought cheap. Not very exciting, but in the next few weeks I'm only drinking Ports I've got multiples of. The few unusual or special ones I have, are for occasions, and therefore don't make it to Death Row during quiet spells.

Tom,

I thought the Dow 75 had been given a temporary stay of execution pending a horizontal from that vintage?


I would be interested to see how your Sandeman 66 shows. I have had 2 of these in recent memory that did not show well. I had the same experience with the S63 and then Alex tipped up with a stellar bottle last year which caused me to open my mind up to buying more of these. I wonder if the 66 has the same variation?

Derek

Panic not - the eBay one is on death row - I have another one of better provenance set aside for you!

Tom

I have a 1970 Warres and a 1974 Noval Colheita on Death Row at the moment, but Tom's list makes me think I'll add a 70 Noval...I keep thinking I'll give that a try and then forget about it.

Jay

Those on Death Row over the next couple of months include:

VP:
1977 Warre
1983 Warre
1985 Warre
1966 Dow
1985 Croft

Colheita/Tawny:

1978 Krohn
Churchill 10-year Tawny
Graham 20-year Tawny
Taylor 30-year Tawny

Should be a good fall and winter.

Your various answers, got me thinking the parameters of the question need firming up. From when I first heard Uncle Tom refer to 'Death Row', I presumed we were talking of what we had stood up to allow to settle before decanting/drinking. Therefore, we are talking in terms of a week or two. Reference was then made to the odd bottle that stays in Death Row too long, because of unforseen circumstances, but it will still see the chair shortly.
If you are now saying, whats on trial, and their case is looking weak!, as in, what I may drink over the next few months, that's a slightly different question?

I suppose the Originator of this thread (Alex) and Tom (On his original meaning) better give me a clue.

Pedantic Pete!

Some bottles get a stay of execution - hardly any get a reprieve

Some have committed an offence - seepage, poor level, damaged capsule etc.

Some were lone bottles that had no friends to protect them, while others were entirely innocent, and were set up..


Tom

My Death Row is the vision that you have in mind - several bottles standing up for a few days to a few weeks (months perhaps?) awaiting their final fate.

I normally have 2-3 bottles standing at any time. Never less that one, rarely more than three. I prefer to have a choice on Death Row so that when I finish the current contents of the decanter then I can decide which of the upright bottles best matches the mood I'm in. However, this does not stop other bottles from being pulled out of the rack and opened on the spur of the moment despite their not being on Death Row. The Warre '94 that I recently posted a tasting note on was one such example.

So, I currently have standing up a single bottle, a Hutcheson 1987. I need to add to it and I'm currently deciding what to add. Favourites for keeping the Hutcheson company would be a Quinta da Roeda 1995 or perhaps one of the more elderly Quinta do Vesuvio's that I have.

(Note for Julian: I have used the posessive for Quinta do Vesuvio on the basis that I do not own any such Quintas and I am therefore referring to the ports of that particular vineyard. Please advise if this is a crime or permitted useage. )

Alex

Well, the Warre's 1992 Colheita barely had time to have a lie down before it skipped death row and got opened.

A Warre's 1995 LBV has been waiting for the rest of the World to make a decision, so when are we doing the unilateral tasting?

Here is what sits on my death row at the moment. Not sure when i will get to them, but "old sparky" is calling

N.V. Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old
N.V. Ferreira Porto Tawny 10 Year Quinta do Porto
2001 Krohn Porto Late Bottled Vintage
N.V. Sandeman Porto 20-year Tawny
1997 Delaforce Porto Quinta da Corte
1985 Dow Porto Vintage
1996 Dow Porto Vintage Quinta do Bomfim
1966 Moreira Porto Colheita
N.V. Presidential Porto 40 Year Old Tawny (.375)
1974 Quinta do Noval Porto Colheita
1997 Sandeman Porto Vintage Quinta do Vau (.375)
1992 Smith Woodhouse Porto Late Bottled Vintage
1995 Warre Porto Late Bottled Vintage
and a few Douro red wines.

wow, I guess Death Row is a little overcrowded, but this week should see me taking care of a few of the buggers

Not many at the moment, but since port weather has kicked in big time today, I'm sure the consumption will go up in the coming period. On death row now:

- Bomfim 1996 (half bottle, to be opened tonight)
- Niepoort LBV 2001

I'm interested in that Bomfim Ronnie, I bought some bottles from Tesco when the 25% off offer was on.

but Tom's list makes me think I'll add a 70 Noval

Mine is now receiving the last rites - will probably be decanted tomorrow

Tom

KillerB wrote:I'm interested in that Bomfim Ronnie, I bought some bottles from Tesco when the 25% off offer was on.

I've added a TN to the old one I've posted in the appropriate section.

Mine does include:

1970 Cockburn
1986 Warres Colheita
2005 Vesuvio Cask Sample half bottle
2005 Passadouro half bottle
1963 Croft
1967 Cockburn
2005 Niepoort
1992 Passadouro half bottle

although the older ones are for some special ocassions (one could be bad weather in Mid-October).

I actually do have them all lined up standing upright in the cellar. Everytime I go through my inventar-list, new candidates are named. Some of these wines are standing upright for a couple of weeks, but I think that this definitely doesnt harm them. Always better to have them drink-ready instead.

Axel

For the fourth year in a row, I'm on course to consume 48 bottles of VP at home this year, my last two victims of 2014 being a Fonseca '75 and a Santos Junior '78.

The average age this year has been 44yrs, although this was propelled by the inclusion of a bottle from an unknown stash, which turned out to be a T35.

My resolution for 2015? Alter the 'puter's selection criteria to allow bottles up to 79yrs to be included, instead of the current 59yrs, but only if they still make the grade with their core point score halved..

Hmmm, I rarely drink port at home if not entertaining or in case of an emergency e.g. DrDirk or RAYC popping by being thirsty. At the moment in Germany I stood up an Averys 63 and as a back up a Dow 63 Corney and Barrow bt for Christmas. Last week after the Christmas bash I opened one of your recorked 58 Warres.

cu soon on the 30th in the Bunghole..

regards

WS1

I rarely drink port at home

- What!.. cough.. splutter....

uncle tom wrote:

I rarely drink port at home

- What!.. cough.. splutter....

you know I have so much wine etc. ......

But since it is Christmas ash over my head and I try to become better........

regards

WS1

WS1 wrote:

uncle tom wrote:

I rarely drink port at home

- What!.. cough.. splutter....

you know I have so much wine etc. ......

But since it is Christmas ash over my head and I try to become better........

regards

WS1

thought about this during the afternoon and realised that I have quite a lot of emergencies...


So port consuption at home is not as small as I thought it is.....


regards

WS1