I have been clearing our my parents house and have come across some wines and ports stored laying down in a dark cupboard. Do I risk opening them or send them straight down the drain?
Browns 1991 Bin 60 Hermitage Hardys 100th Anniversary Shiraz 1997 Tyrrell's 1972 Vintage Port Tyrrell's 1977 Vintage Port St Hallett's Anniversary Port 1967 Vintage Saltram 1980 Vintage Port Hoffmann's 1981 Vintage Port Hoffmanns 1979 Vintage Port
I can't speak specifically about any of those wines but I'd either drink them or auction them, don't tip them down the drain. There's a fair chance the VP's may be interesting drinks.
Have a look at Isle of Wine and see some of the prices people will pay for vintage ports of unknown storage and provenance.
Then look at some of the on-line auction sites and see some of the ridiculous prices some people will pay for stuff.
There are regular bargains at auction too but some wines seem to go for bizarre prices.
Thanks for those responses. I'll look into it a bit more.
Just thought I'd add a bit more about the Hoffmans:
The 1979 label has
Ghan Port
Hoffmanns 1979 Vintage Port
was selected to Commemorate the
LAST TRIP of the "GHAN" TRAIN
to Alice Springs in November 1980
The 1981 is not a commemorative bottle but quotes many Silver Medals.
I would think they would all be a pleasure to explore.
In the last 2 weeks I have opened:
1. a 1978 Brown Bros port which was probably at the limit of its life but still in good condition and very enjoyable
2. A 1976 Buller port which had a perfect cork and at least another 10 years of legs left, however it was fabulous, in fact there is still some in the decanter and 24hrs later its still very good.
I would drink them all. Stand them upright for a couple of days to allow the sediment to settle and then decant carefully. You may be surprised.
My only experience with older Australian ports is with a bottle of 1967 Stonyfell and a 1973 De Bortoli commemorative port for a Griffith wine festival. Both were opened in 2004 and were excellent, rich, complex and very sweet. They may not be "real" Port as in Portugese but they were a delight. The De Bortoli was the sweeter of the two and served blind to my "port expert" friend he did not guess it to be a port, rather a dessert wine.
Hi Gayle T
Other than the first red, I'd imagine that all the other wines will be fine. Traditionally the older vintage ports were thought to reach their peak in the 20 - 40 year age range, so all of yours are in that period. You haven't indicated where you live but if you are in Adelaide, sent me a note, as I'd love to be there when you open the older ones. Good luck
We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!
All the VPs were drinking beautifully, the Bullers particularly impressed me.
She also opened a Redmans 1979 Cabernet (magnum) which was delicious, a Lindemans Porphyry Bin 36 1983 almost gone but still just drinkable - but a Leasingham Bin 49 Cabernet 1981 and a Great Western Malbec 1969 had to be poured down the sink.
Hope you have fun with the old VPs and maybe some pleasant surprises. By the way, we kept the dregs from the VPs, mixed them together, strained them and used them in a sauce for slow cooked lamb shanks the following week - wonderful!
