Vintage Port

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

A question. Who still drinks this stuff?

I wandered into the cellar tonight, and did a little analysis. There's a lot of shiraz, a similar amount of riesling, a fair amount of chardonnay, some cabernet and supporting cabernet blends - and a couple of dozen VPs in a quiet corner down the bottom of a rack.

The oldest is 1982 (although that has sentimental / historical value and a specific reason for being there). The rest start at 1991 and get younger. There is a trend toward half bottles after the turn of the century.

Some years ago (possibly in the last century) we used to drink beer, then a couple of table wines, and the vintage port would come out to round off the evening. These days, I tend to start with a wine, go to more wine, and finish with a wine, and the VPs don't get a look in, in favour of opening yet another more interesting wine.

Can I have your opinion, please? What is the place for Vintage Port in the average wine-loving Australian's lexicon?

Cheers

Allan

[Dan]

I love vintage port, but have to admit I don't drink a whole lot of it.

I think the lean toward half bottles is a good move, they tend to get opened where as the 750mls tend to lay there waiting until I have enough people around to drink a full bottle.

I usually take a few to the snow with me and crack a couple around Christmas time (when there are lots of people to share with).

[Luke W]

Nothing better with a cigar around a bonfire......
Drink about 6 bottles a year - generally the old Yalumba Race Horse Series

[cuttlefish]

I agree that you need a bit of a crowd to make it worthwhile. I rarely get the opportunity to open mine, and I have plenty.
Generally, I'll be at pains to open one, but then be glad I did.
The only thing is, I do wake up with a sore head if there's only 1-2 of us to drink it.

[via collins]

VP Half bottles are a blessing.

Regularly used at my place throughout the colder months, just the one at the end of the day.

Bliss.

[ross67]

Living in Brisbane VP is tough at times but I generally always have one of some description opened & 'available' when I need it.
I find that quality doesn't suffer even though it could well be opened for months on end.
I'm no expert on this but I thought VP unlike Fortified Shiraz can go some distance once opened?

The other advantage of this for me is if I'm finished off my bottle of red and don't want to open another for just a glass the VP can fill the void.

Ross

[Barney]

Did enjoy a good VP every now and again, the Yalumba and Seppelts Para for the most part, more recently have shifted more to Rutherlen fortifieds and the occasional Pedro which for some reason i find more satisfying and better value...

[via collins]

this!!!!!!

"The other advantage of this for me is if I'm finished off my bottle of red and don't want to open another for just a glass the VP can fill the void."

[scribbler]

I love them.
There is a very real dark art in their making, and the craft and care that goes into their construction is amazing- including getting various spirit samples, blending different varieties- for wines that are designed not to be opened for a minimum of ten years - and capable of much longer lives.
It better to open them for a group of people, but open them anyway, and use half and quarter bottles for leftovers.....

I am a buyer of Stanton and Killeen, and Morris, sometimes Pfeiffer, and the extraordinary VGV halves from Seppeltsfield.
I also have odd older bottles from "many more".

And If I could afford more from Portugal, I would be getting Fonseca and Taylors.

Plus I need to commend the makers of our Muscats and Tokays and tawnies (yes I know the names have changed). Thy get to see their best results after at least 20 years and hope they have the heritage of older blending stocks - mainly from previous winemakers who have moved on - in one way or another.

Fortifieds are a neglected privilege.

[Milan]

Taylors Quinta 1995 and 1998 half bottles represent excellent value for what they are...really nice with sticky date pudding! Perfect really...

Keen to try the Taylors 40 year old also.

I really enjoy fortified grenache...hard to find though.

[sjw_11]

Im a fan of VP but like others I struggle with the quantity unless I have a larger group of wine lovers together ... halves are a great idea but then perhaps wont cellar as long...

My cellar probably only has 3/4 of a case each of some 1998 Seppeltsfield halves and 2005 Seppeltsfield that were flogged off uber cheap, 2 bottles of Peter Lehman (94 and 99), one Bleasdale 1990, one Knapppstein 1998 half, a couple of D'arenberg Fortified's, and an Angoves 1996... oh and a Magnum of 1990 Stanton & Killeen I was given as a present for being best man for someone. So about 4% of total, but skewed by the cheapies.

PS Ross, its typically the Non Vintage Tawnies & similar that last a long-time, Vintage Port (which Fortified Shiraz is just the new Aussie name for as we cant use Port anymore) is usually best within a day or two of opening, similar to a red wine....

[Broughy]

must admit i have a few VP and mid winter tas is a good time to drink. like others trying to be a bit health consciousand not open one in favour of another red selection. perhaps the way to go is just the VP with a stilton and walnuts and almonds right from the start

[paulf]

which Fortified Shiraz is just the new Aussie name for as we cant use Port anymore

That's not entirely true. While many producers are using Vintage Shiraz, many are also using Vintage fortified, or calling it something else completely.
This is very true in Ruthergelen, where the Vintage Port style has often been made using durif as well as shiraz and the various portuguese varieties.
Pfieffer is pretty cheeky - their port is labled Christopher's VP

Personally, I'm all for a bit of fortified action and I have no problem opening a VP just for myself as long as I know I will be home for a few nights in a row. While 2 nights is generally what is recommended, they will sometimes last a lot longer than that. I had a stellar example of this in October where we had a number of older ports open for a tasting, which we then corked up and didn't get around to trying for a couple of nights later. The 66 Warres which was good after a few hours decant was absolutely stunning on the 3rd day, while the Dow 63 which was great on the first day hadn't held up so well and the 70 Grahams was steady.

I've got a fair collection of fortifieds, mostly the proper portuguese Vintage Port, and a few LBVs and Tawnies but I have a bunch of Stanton & Killeens and a few other Australian ones as well. Almost all of my Portuguese vintage ports are too young at this stage. I probably need another 10 years of patience.

[Duncan Disorderly]

I've had three bottles of Peter Lehmann VP this year, two 1990s and one 1996 which were all pretty good. I've also secured a bottle of 1985 Taylor's for Xmas which I'm really looking forward to drinking over a day or two.

[ross67]

My latest bottle of VP was a 1973 Kaiser Stuhl.
I swear it sat in the top of our pantry for 7 to 8 months+ after opening.
Pulled the cork poured. May not visit it again for months on end etc.
The last glass poured [into my sherry glass] was as good as the first.


Another was a few years back i worked my way through a 1927 Keo Commanderie St.John dessert wine from Cyprus. Picked up on Langtons for around $90.
It was all rich fruit cake as you could imagine with an incredible finish. Just glorious. Probably lasted 6-8 months as well.


ross

[paulf]

I've had three bottles of Peter Lehmann VP this year, two 1990s and one 1996 which were all pretty good. I've also secured a bottle of 1985 Taylor's for Xmas which I'm really looking forward to drinking over a day or two.

I hope your Taylors 85 is better than how they generally show - The 80s wasn't a strong decade for Taylors. It's a pity it isn't a Fonseca 85 which is probably the only superb port of the 80s to come From Taylor Fladgate and probably the best port of the decade. The Symingtons 85s are all pretty nice, with the Graham's being one of my all time favorites.

[Waiters Friend]

I'm impressed. There ARE people out there who still drink the stuff. That answers my original question, in spades.

I suppose now, I need to work out how to make the occasional VP part of my entertaining experience. In France earlier this year, we were drinking Taylors, and there were enough of us around that the bottle disappeared (occasionally, a small number!), however, back in Perth and around the dinner table or BBQ, a VP is still not something that springs to mind for me (I'm generally looking for another table wine), or, more often, if I suggest "who wants a port?", there's a small (or nil) amount of takers. So I don't open one.

That can change

Cheers

Allan

[LGW]

One good thing about VP is that you can stash them in a dark corner, forget about them and not worry they will fall over in a hurry. I probably average about 1 bottle a year when all the stars in the cosmos align!

I've only a very limited stash, mainly when I go on holidays to rutherglen and grab a few half bottles from Stanton and Killeen. Apart from that I only have a bottle of the 2009 Warres.

[Michael McNally]

I have about 24 bottles almost all 750ml dating back to 1969 (birth year) with most being auction purchases. I have purchased 4 x birth year Stanton and Killeen for each of my three boys with a view to drinking them on their 18th, 21st, 30th and 40th. Like many here I have gone to Seppeltsfield for the cleanskins......

I bought some 1969 Kaiser Stuhl from auction a few years back and despite the crappy corks 4 out of 5 were beautiful.

The 2010 Wild Duck Creek Estate I tried last year was one of my wines of the year.

Long live Vintage Port!

Cheers

Michael

[LGW]

I have purchased 4 x birth year Stanton and Killeen for each of my three boys with a view to drinking them on their 18th, 21st, 30th and 40th.

I tried the 1983 VP at stanton while I was there at melbourne cup weekend. Some people were buying them for their son/daughters 30th. Not sure whether 83 was a good year but if it is anything to go by, your VPs should easily cruise through to your sons 40ths.

[dlo]

I have quite a bit of pretty old Aussie in the cellar going back to the fifties. As much as I shouldn't partake in any great quantity these days, I have an amazing affinity with those incredible Rutherglen's from the sixties and early seventies (an All Saints 1967 was just sensational last saturday night!). I hope, someday, this incredibly intense, luxurious, long lasting style might resurface. The problem is, of course, the market forces motivating makers to produce any quantity of such wine is just about wallaby-ted.

[Michael McNally]

I have purchased 4 x birth year Stanton and Killeen for each of my three boys with a view to drinking them on their 18th, 21st, 30th and 40th.

I tried the 1983 VP at stanton while I was there at melbourne cup weekend. Some people were buying them for their son/daughters 30th. Not sure whether 83 was a good year but if it is anything to go by, your VPs should easily cruise through to your sons 40ths.

Thanks for the update Lawrie. How much were they selling them for? Curious to know whether it is worth buying these now or letting the winery do the cellaring.

Cheers

Michael

[LGW]

Thanks for the update Lawrie. How much were they selling them for? Curious to know whether it is worth buying these now or letting the winery do the cellaring.

Cheers

Michael

Hi Michael, I think he said about $80 (I'd give them a call as I could be wrong!). I'd lean towards cellering them myself, who knows how much they will be in 30 odd years time from now. Although under $2 a year per bottle ain't bad either if your like me and your cellar is bursting at its seams!

On a side note, Stantons CD do have an unbelievable back vintage collection of VP if anyone's keen to pick up a birth year VP.

[dlo]

Pick the S&K's up for a third of that price at auction.