port
Author
Discussion

coco h

Original Poster:

4,237 posts

261 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Given a bottle - 1970s port - is it going to be good ?

Plotloss

67,280 posts

294 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Depends, what is it?

If its an LBV or a Vintage then quite probably...

jimothy

5,151 posts

261 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Only one way to find out...

v15ben

16,131 posts

265 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
LBV is very nice! I have first hand experience!

bruciebabe

1,126 posts

265 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
coco h said:
Given a bottle - 1970s port - is it going to be good ?


If it is a proper vintage you need to decant it to get rid of the sediment. If it is late bottled vintage you don't because it has aged a little in a barrel which is where the sediment remains.

jacobyte

4,767 posts

266 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Might as well go for it... Any port in a storm!

Alicatt

220 posts

257 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
What brand is it?
Quite partial to Dow's, especialy a 1966 Dows which is nectar. Not so fond of Warres as I find it just a bit too peppery.
I had a bottle of 1955 Warres and had occasion to open it one evening a few years ago, didn't have time to properly decant the port that evening but had carefully poured off two genrous glasses and left the bottle until morning to be decanted. The port was shear poetry on the palate, smooth and tasty. When I awoke the following morning ... may have been afternoon tho... I went to the kitchen and picked up the bottle ready to decant it and was surprised at how light it was, thinking "We didn't drink that much surely" I asked the wife and she said "oh I gave it a shake and it was all full of sediment so I poured it down the sink" I started divorce proceeedings later that day ....

minimax

11,985 posts

280 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
bruciebabe said:

coco h said:
Given a bottle - 1970s port - is it going to be good ?



If it is a proper vintage you need to decant it to get rid of the sediment. If it is late bottled vintage you don't because it has aged a little in a barrel which is where the sediment remains.


spot on. what is the year? is it colheitas? so many questions spring to mind!

coco h

Original Poster:

4,237 posts

261 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
I will dig the darn thing out tonight and let you know

egoboss

838 posts

254 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
coco h said:
Given a bottle - 1970s port - is it going to be good ?


i've got some stilton and an open fire roaring, it's snowing outside - so, fed ex the port over to me and i will let you know ...

;-)

Don

28,378 posts

308 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Chances are it will be fine - if its a decent vintage port. Its quite high in alcohol which preserves it. Wines from the 70s are now likely to be piss - unless kept in perfect, perfect cellar conditions - and even then...

You will indeed need to decant - it will have thrown quite the sediment by now. Others will shudder with horror but I use a very fine "tea strainer" style device (its not a tea strainer - its genuinely for the purpose).

Once its open DRINK IT! It should last two or three days - no more. It is preferable to get through the bottle on the first night. If you can't drink that much port - invite friends round!

Dakkon

7,829 posts

277 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Alicatt said:
What brand is it?
Quite partial to Dow's, especialy a 1966 Dows which is nectar. Not so fond of Warres as I find it just a bit too peppery.
I had a bottle of 1955 Warres and had occasion to open it one evening a few years ago, didn't have time to properly decant the port that evening but had carefully poured off two genrous glasses and left the bottle until morning to be decanted. The port was shear poetry on the palate, smooth and tasty. When I awoke the following morning ... may have been afternoon tho... I went to the kitchen and picked up the bottle ready to decant it and was surprised at how light it was, thinking "We didn't drink that much surely" I asked the wife and she said "oh I gave it a shake and it was all full of sediment so I poured it down the sink" I started divorce proceeedings later that day ....


That is a terrible story, what a heathen

Alicatt

220 posts

257 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Don said:
You will indeed need to decant - it will have thrown quite the sediment by now. Others will shudder with horror but I use a very fine "tea strainer" style device (its not a tea strainer - its genuinely for the purpose).

I have been known to use a coffee filter paper to get the last drop out a bottle when I was working in the bar

ntel

5,051 posts

264 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
Never mind all that. Wollop it down yer neck with a 1lb wedge of mature Stilton.

Dibble

13,257 posts

264 months

Thursday 24th February 2005
quotequote all
coco h said:
Given a bottle - 1970s port - is it going to be good ?
If you don't know, even if you drink it, you probably wouldn't know. Send it to me, and I shall let you know how good it is...