I wasn't sure that I wanted to post this but since everyone else appears to be getting in on the act, here goes:

1 1955 Grahams
2 1963 Dows
2 1963 Fonseca
1 1963 Quinta do Noval
1 1966 Grahams
3 1970 Dows
1 1970 Grahams
4 1970 Taylors
3 1975 Fonseca
3 1977 Dows
7 1977 Fonseca
3 1977 Grahams
2 1977 Taylors
3 1977 Warres
2 1983 Dows
2 1983 Grahams
2 1983 Taylors
1 1985 Fonseca
1 1987 Quinta de Baldias
5 1991 Quinto de Vesuvio
3 1992 Fonseca
4 1992 Quinto de Vesuvio
3 1994 Dows
4 1994 Fonseca
1 1994 Quinto de Castelinho
7 1994 Quinto de Vesuvio
1 1994 Warres

I passed on the 1997 vintage completely because of the outrageous prices (I hesitated and BOOM they're $70+ a bottle) and the fact that I'll likely be dead before they're truly mature. Besides, I can pick up better and more mature ports for less at auction with a little patience there, rather than storing them in my cellar.

You guys may have saved my marriage! Not that it is in immediate danger, but it could be if my wife ever does the math on my little stash. Now I can show, in detail, how much others hold. That wasn't the point of this thread, just so you know, just a helpful unintended consequence.

It would no doubt be impossible to organize, but wouldn't an off-line just for vintage port be fun?

bman and fscot:

you two are to be commended!!! my tiny stash pales in comparison, however, i am building.

1 Dow's 1997
1 Graham's Six Grapes
1 750/1375 Niepoort 1997
1 Quinta do Noval 1994
1 Quinta do Tedo NV
1 Sandeman Vau 1997
1 Taylor 1997
1 Taylor 375 ml 1994
1 Warre's 1997

drank my 85 graham and one 97 niepoort already. can't keep my hands off of it.

I like the idea of a vintage port offline. Looking at everyone's list several spectacular verticals could be put together.

As for location...

To include both sides of the Atlantic and minimize travel, how about... Bermuda?

Cheers, Z

hi sfscot,

what a lovely port-collection !!

i never had a 1955, do you?

i love the:
1963 Fonseca
1970 Grahams
1970 Taylors
1977 Fonseca
1977 Grahams
1977 Taylors
1977 Warres
1985 Fonseca
1992 Fonseca
1994 Fonseca
1994 Quinto de Vesuvio

i'm missing the 94 taylor, what happend?

cheers!

Can't help noticing that almost everyone with an extensive collection, and most of the rest as well, have only or mostly ports from only the top eight or so port houses. It seems the common strategy is to follow the top port houses more than the ratings. While it is true that they can usually be relied upon to deliver good bottles, every vintage shows some of the top houses underperforming, while the odd unsung, less well-regarded producer gets a hgihly rated wine.

My strategy has been to follow the ratings, rather than the houses, which means that I too have ports mostly from the top names, but I also have a few from lesser ones, such as Croft, Offley's Boa Vista, Rebello Valente and several single quintas. As I said earlier, I have yet to taste most of these, so it remains to be seen (for me at least) whether or not it is better to follow the ratings than the top houses.

Any comments, especially from those who have tried both top producers and the lesser ones, and (stay with me now here ), top rated ports from the latter and lower rated ones from the former?

For investment purposes stick to the top three houses: Taylor, Fonseca, and Graham.

I'll take Croft, Dow, and Warre over Fonseca.

Strategy?: Buy as much of the good-best at best price; try to avoid bad stuff & overpriced; have a good stash in later years & still be able to afford to eat along with it.

Highlights:
--'66 Croft--elegant, not a "monster", but otherwise perfect. Also had at a great time, at our BBQ with good friends who enjoyed the hell out of it.
--'82 Malvedos--best of a difficult vintage.
--'83 Gould Campbell--rated highly, probably the best Gould, & consistently amazing.
--'85 Graham--almost as good as...
--'55 Mackenzie--Port Buddy's first Port buy in '78 for $80. I got to try 1, has 2 left.
--'63 Fonseca--also not a monster, but perfectly mature.
--'87 & '88 Malvedos--loving that '88 right now, & a best buy at $40.
--'70 Taylor--great wine at a time when I really needed it.
--'80 Sandeman magnum, $65--better than 85 rating, perfect size for a great party.
--'70 Fonseca for $90, '63 Sandeman for $99, "70 Dow for $79, '83 Gould for $16.
--Seeing '85 Nacional on the shelf at Mother's Day; still there at Christmas; deciding, waiting...& buying it the next Mother's Day for $200.

Lowlights:
--'85 Burmester--a dead horse...
--'83 Borges, even at $12.
--'84 Malvedos--the only disappointing Graham.
--'63 Croft mag, even at $219 (correct price)--perhaps a poor bottle, or muddled palate.
--'85 Infantado & Rocha--glad it was someone else who spent their money on them.
--'63 Noval--as rated, 84, or lower.
--'70 Noval--JS: "Bottles vary from outstanding to disappointing". Guess which I got?
--'83 Messias Cachao--yuck!
--'83 Fonseca--is it just me? Too raisiny, & that was side-by-side with an '82 Malvedos. Have 2 more.

Glad I read about & passed up:
--'80 Fonseca--a mag for $180

I'd be glad to get together & drink some Port anywhere from Vancouver, B.C. to San Fran, if schedule permitted. But frankly, could be a long way to go for something like that, & Port doesn't travel well.
May be a get together in Seattle?

I'l get my list of '80 thru '98 all prepared to type in, so I don't take so much time & lose it this time.

I'll see if I can get this in without losing it this time. Continued from above...

'80: 2 Dow; 1 Smith W.

'82: 2 Malvedos; 1 Sandeman; 1 Nacional.

'83: 3 Taylor, 3 Gould; 2 Smith W.; 2 Fonseca; 5 Graham; 3 Dow; 1 Ramos Pinto; 1 Borges (swill); 5 Offley Boa Vista; 1 Nacional.

'84: 2 Dow Bomfim.

'85: 2 Gould; 1 Sandeman; 2 Noval; 3 Warre; 2 Cockburn (bad?); 2 Graham; 1 Smith W.; 6 Taylor; 1 Krohn; 4 Fonseca; 3 Burmester (bad); 2 Dow; 8 Ferreira; 1 Nacional.

'87: 1 Cockburn Q. do Tua; 1 Offley Boa Vista; 1 Churchill Agua Alta; 1 Tuke Holdsworth; 16 Malvedos (thank you, Costco!).

'88: 3 Sandeman Vau; 5 Malvedos (so far).

'90: 1 Warre Cavadinha; 1/2 Dow Bomfim; 2x1/2 Malvedos; 1 Churchill Agua Alta.

'91: 3 Vesuvio; 2 Warre; 1 Infantado; 2 Dow; 1 Chburchill; 1 Smith; 3 Taylor Vargellas.

'92: 1 Smith; 4 Dow Bomfim; 1 closed case + 1 + 6x1/2 Warre Cavadinha; 4 Fonseca; 2 Infantado; 5 Niepoort; 3 Malvedos; 1 Q. da Eira Velha.

'94: 7 + 1 mag Warre; 4 Dow; 6-pack oak box + 3 Vesuvio; 3 Fonseca; 2 Cockburn; 5 + 8x1/2 Taylor;
5 + 2x1/2 Graham; 3 Martinez; 2 Eira Velha; 2 Ramos; 2 gould; 2 Osborn; 1 Broadbent; 3 + 1 mag Churchill; 3 Noval; 1 Q. de la Rosa; 6 Croft.

'95: 3 Taylor Vargellas; 3 Fonseca Guim.; 2 x 6-pack Vesuvio; 3 Q. do Crasto; 3 Malvedos; 3 Ferreira; 3 Smith Madelena; 3 Noval; 3 Noval Silval.

'96: 5 Vesuvio in box.

'97: 2 Sandeman Vau; 2 Messias Cachao; 1 Dow; 1 mag Warre.

'98: 1 6-pack box + 1 Dow Q da Sonhora da Ribeira.

That's it, so far.

*

Oops, almost missed the 6-pack of '97 Vesuvio.

[ 03-29-2002, 12:51 AM: Message edited by: Blobby ]

OK, I was stunned into silence for about a minute (a long time for me! ) after reading your list above. You have a better collection that any retail source I've seen, except perhaps Berry Brothers, and I'd wager that there are few if any anywhere that would match it. Too bad there isn't some recognition system, like Olympic medals, for wine collections, if so you'd win at least a bronze I think!!!

Any chance you'd like to adopt a son? I'm old, and not so smart, but my mother always said that my charm and good looks would take me far!

Bman: I suspect there are some old farts still around with some good collections of much older Ports. I have heard of one around here. I also talked to an attorney a while back who did have quite a collection, till he decided to sell them & switch to Italian wines.
I'm sure there are also plenty of rich folk whose cellars we see in WS who have dozens of cases.
As for average guys like you & me, I'm a fool for Port, caught the bug. I also got a little bonus right before the '94s came out, without which I wouldn't have bought half as much.
And again, I have 3 bottles of Bordeaux.

I somehow missed the 5 of '95 Rocha. I tasted barrel a sample, of all things, which the importer was pouring at a local store, & signed up for 8 bottles for $25 each. It was quite good. Otherwise, probably not something I would have bought.
I noticed that after it sold well, some '94 Rocha showed up on the shelves.

Took me a while to go down and count...here goes:

1967-Cockburn-1
1977 Dow-3
Graham-3
Fonseca-1
1983 Gould Campbell-1
1985 Dow-2
Fonseca-2
Taylor-1
1994 Dow-6
Graham-1 plus 6 375ml
Taylor-8
Fonseca-4
Croft-5
Churchhill-3
Warre-4 plus 1 magnum
Vesuvio-1
Cockburn-1
Ramirez-1
1997 Fonseca-3
Noval-1
Neiport-2
Taylor 30 yr-2
Fonseca 30 yr-1
LBV-1994 Noval-2
Cohleita-Barros 1963-2 375's
Barros 1977-4
A few Aussie tawnies as well.

Bravo! Nice to hear from one of the original vintage port fanciers. Your 94s are especially impressive.

We'll see if this bumps. I wanted to try to find something here & now see how much good stuff there is. We also have some relative newcomers who could join in.

I've killed a few in the meantime, including 5 at the 9-1-02 PNW Soiree (well worth it), and added quite a few more. Prices of some '97s have come down, so got some of those--6 Ferreira for $105 total , 1 Graham's for $50, 1 S.W. mag for $89.

I swear that '00 will be the last vintage of which I buy much . So far I have 6 each of Graham's, Vesuvio, Fonseca, S.W., Noval; & 12 of Taylor. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this pace (& stay married), so may have to go to 3 of each.
I got all at cost + 10% (or less ), at better prices than most of the '97s at release, & I'm pretty sure at better prices than I found for futures.

Then I hope to start getting some more of those underpriced mature ones & drinking more of them. May have to try some of that '92 Warre's pretty soon, too, especially in the half bottles ($9.99 in '96 .)

BMAN!


Exciting news! I was at the LCBO the other day (bought a 1997 Silval VP, how appropriate for this post)

I was asking about 2000 VP and when it is going to be released, thinking it would be a little at a time.

The consultant (Tom, I think) informed me that the LCBO is planning to do a MAJOR 2000 VP released March 22.

Keep an eye on for details. The ironic thing about this whole scenario is that I will be away on vacation in the Mayan Riveriera. I guess I'll have to get some of my friends to pick some up for me.

I'll see if I can get an advance list. Stay tuned!

BTW, I am relatively new to Port so, if I show you my list, it would be the equivilent of experiencing shrinkage...(Kostanza, where are you?!)

Now....where's that Screwpull?

for who's interested

steven tanzer did rate the 2000 vintage ports!

Tsunami,

Would you be able to post the ratings?

It would be GREATLY appreciated. A Newbie to port needs some direction.

Speaking of port, what does one drink if they don't want to open a VP bottle? 10 yr tawny, 20 year tawny, LVB port? HELP!!!

Now....where's that Screwpull?

sorry i can't go inside tanzers site, a friend had a printed version from a friend


why should i want to not open a bottle of vintageport if i like to?
i'm not a fan of tawnys or similar.


it's better to drink a good half bottle of vintageport and have it drunk with joy
insted
to open a bottle of tawny and sip around for weeks and finish it because i have to.

Benjamin NV Port x 3
Dow 1970 x 1
Dow 1977 x 1
Fonseca Guimaraens 1974 x 1
Fonseca 1994 x 1
Graham Malvedos 1976 x 1
Niepoort 1952 x 1
Niepoort 1982 x 1
Quinta do Noval NV LBV x 3
Taylor Fladgate 1994 x 1
Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas 1995 x 3
Taylor Fladgate 1977 x 1
Warre 1977 x 1

Want to buy 2000's but still looking for the best prices...

One glass is never enough!
www.wainwrightinn.com

Since I just inventoried I'll chime in. I'm generally in the 'would rather buy mature than store young' camp, but I have picked around a bit.
'63 Krohn Colheita x3
'66 Dow
'66 Fonseca x2
'77 Smith Woodhouse x2
'78 Krohn Colheita
'84 Fonseca Guimaraens
'86 Graham's Malvedos
'94 Ramos-Pinto x4
'94 Dow x2
'95 Fonseca
'97 Heitz Inkgrade x2
'97 Oakstone Syrah Port
'97 Nieport
'97 Smith Woodhouse 375ml x2
'97 Quinto do Crasto
'00 Quinto do Noval x3
'00 Taylor Fladgate 375ml x5
LBV's
'96 Quinto do Noval x10 (favorite LBV )
'94 Dow x3
'92 Smith Woodhouse x2
a few 10s, 20s, and 30 year tawneys, usually prefer 20s.