Old Booze - any good?
Discussion
Clearing out The Wife's Grandfather's house today after he sadly died a few weeks ago. We have been tasked with taking the contents of the booze cabinet. All the spirits seem OK, but does wine and Port keep this long?
Most of the wine is mid to late 90s, one of the ports is 1984 bottled, and one is 1965!! They have all been stored flat, in rack in a cool cupboard by an outside wall of the house. Just opened one of the St. Emilions, and it was lovely. I'm very excited about the ports - is the 1965 going to be any good? We're thinking we might leave it until 2015 and have a 50 year old drink?
Most of the wine is mid to late 90s, one of the ports is 1984 bottled, and one is 1965!! They have all been stored flat, in rack in a cool cupboard by an outside wall of the house. Just opened one of the St. Emilions, and it was lovely. I'm very excited about the ports - is the 1965 going to be any good? We're thinking we might leave it until 2015 and have a 50 year old drink?
The 1963 Sandemans Vintage port should (if it's been properly stored) be something quite special. This is what http://www.thevintageportsite.com/ says about the 1963 vintage year:
"A monumental Vintage of legendary proportions that needs no introduction. One of the 20th Century's finest. A Vintage Port against which all others are judged. Declared by all the major Port houses."
It will be fine to drink now or will keep for another few years yet. If I were you I would crack it open with family this christmas and enjoy it. It won't last more than a couple of days after you open it, so make sure it gets drunk. I'm very jealous. [ETA: look at http://www.londonfinewine.co.uk/product.html?produ... ]
Not sure about the other (1975) port. It's not a vintage one so won't have much staying power. Crack it open and see what it's like but don't be surprised if it's past its best.
The Fonseca is (I think) a "Reserve" port that's ready for drinking now (it doesn't look too old). It won't improve with age.
"A monumental Vintage of legendary proportions that needs no introduction. One of the 20th Century's finest. A Vintage Port against which all others are judged. Declared by all the major Port houses."
It will be fine to drink now or will keep for another few years yet. If I were you I would crack it open with family this christmas and enjoy it. It won't last more than a couple of days after you open it, so make sure it gets drunk. I'm very jealous. [ETA: look at http://www.londonfinewine.co.uk/product.html?produ... ]
Not sure about the other (1975) port. It's not a vintage one so won't have much staying power. Crack it open and see what it's like but don't be surprised if it's past its best.
The Fonseca is (I think) a "Reserve" port that's ready for drinking now (it doesn't look too old). It won't improve with age.
Edited by uncinqsix on Monday 23 November 00:45
With the older ports especially, do remember to decant them down and let them breathe for a while before having your scoops!
Sounds like they have been kept properly by your description of where they were so good luck!
JUst remember to have a toast to the old boy's memory over christmas with them!
Sounds like they have been kept properly by your description of where they were so good luck!
JUst remember to have a toast to the old boy's memory over christmas with them!
XJSJohn said:
Just remember to have a toast to the old boy's memory over christmas with them!
That's the plan. All of these are at least 10-12 years old as that's when he gave up drinking due to his first stroke.Would the Sandeman's Port be worth anything to sell? I'd feel guilty drinking it if so, as he left the family with some fairly substantial debts which can't be paid off until the house is sold, which will take another few months of clearing out before it can even go on the market. In the meantime solicitor's fees are piling up etc.
HereBeMonsters said:
Would the Sandeman's Port be worth anything to sell? I'd feel guilty drinking it if so, as he left the family with some fairly substantial debts which can't be paid off until the house is sold, which will take another few months of clearing out before it can even go on the market. In the meantime solicitor's fees are piling up etc.
The link I posted has a retail price of 115 pounds, so you certainly wouldn't get more than 100 for it. Probably less as it's a single bottle. It's too good to sell anyway - it's a once in a lifetime chance to try a top-shelf vintage port and you would regret not taking it. uncinqsix said:
Not sure about the other (1975) port. It's not a vintage one so won't have much staying power. Crack it open and see what it's like but don't be surprised if it's past its best.
The 1975 is a colheita, as the one behind appears to be. Colheitas are rare and fascinating, and certainly worth trying or selling. I've only had a couple of colheitas in 20 years versus considerably more vintages.A colheita is the tawny version of a vintage (which is a ruby port) - only produced in selected years when the house feels the quality is there. So the declared years will be different from those for declared VP. Where vintage sits in barrel for just two years and matures for 20 in the bottle, a colheita spends many years in barrel, and only a short period in bottle. The should be a bottling year listed as well.
It's browner in colour, and nuttier in flavour, closer to sherry than ruby port. Different, rather than better or worse, works rather well with heavier puddings (e.g Christmas pudding, if you are going to be sober enough to appreciate it). There should not be a sediment.
They are far less popular than VP, and a bugger to find information about - as such they are produced more for house pride than for profit. I would suggest you crack one on Christmas Day to toast the old man's memory and impressive taste in fine wine. I'm quite jealous.
uncinqsix said:
HereBeMonsters said:
Would the Sandeman's Port be worth anything to sell? I'd feel guilty drinking it if so, as he left the family with some fairly substantial debts which can't be paid off until the house is sold, which will take another few months of clearing out before it can even go on the market. In the meantime solicitor's fees are piling up etc.
The link I posted has a retail price of 115 pounds, so you certainly wouldn't get more than 100 for it. Probably less as it's a single bottle. It's too good to sell anyway - it's a once in a lifetime chance to try a top-shelf vintage port and you would regret not taking it. 
So the expert opinion is to drink it then?
I'm sure we can manage that...
In fact we cracked open the little bottle of Cockburn's last night. Definitely better than the "new" bottle we had a few weeks ago. Cannot wait for the '63 vintage. Got lots of friends and family coming over for Christmas, so I'm sure they will all get drunk, memorably. One Christmas, years ago, my father had inherited a £120+ bottle of scotch from a relative. We drank it between three of us before midnight...
I'm sure we can manage that...
In fact we cracked open the little bottle of Cockburn's last night. Definitely better than the "new" bottle we had a few weeks ago. Cannot wait for the '63 vintage. Got lots of friends and family coming over for Christmas, so I'm sure they will all get drunk, memorably. One Christmas, years ago, my father had inherited a £120+ bottle of scotch from a relative. We drank it between three of us before midnight...
HiRich said:
The 1975 is a colheita, as the one behind appears to be. Colheitas are rare and fascinating, and certainly worth trying or selling. I've only had a couple of colheitas in 20 years versus considerably more vintages.
A colheita is the tawny version of a vintage (which is a ruby port) - only produced in selected years when the house feels the quality is there. So the declared years will be different from those for declared VP. Where vintage sits in barrel for just two years and matures for 20 in the bottle, a colheita spends many years in barrel, and only a short period in bottle. The should be a bottling year listed as well.
It's browner in colour, and nuttier in flavour, closer to sherry than ruby port. Different, rather than better or worse, works rather well with heavier puddings (e.g Christmas pudding, if you are going to be sober enough to appreciate it). There should not be a sediment.
They are far less popular than VP, and a bugger to find information about - as such they are produced more for house pride than for profit. I would suggest you crack one on Christmas Day to toast the old man's memory and impressive taste in fine wine. I'm quite jealous.
Cheers for that info. I didn't know anything about colheitas other than that they are fancy tawnies. How do they age in comparison to a vintage or a "normal" tawny?A colheita is the tawny version of a vintage (which is a ruby port) - only produced in selected years when the house feels the quality is there. So the declared years will be different from those for declared VP. Where vintage sits in barrel for just two years and matures for 20 in the bottle, a colheita spends many years in barrel, and only a short period in bottle. The should be a bottling year listed as well.
It's browner in colour, and nuttier in flavour, closer to sherry than ruby port. Different, rather than better or worse, works rather well with heavier puddings (e.g Christmas pudding, if you are going to be sober enough to appreciate it). There should not be a sediment.
They are far less popular than VP, and a bugger to find information about - as such they are produced more for house pride than for profit. I would suggest you crack one on Christmas Day to toast the old man's memory and impressive taste in fine wine. I'm quite jealous.
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