The Auswine Forum

So, I bought some of the '98 Seppeltsfield VP, wich I spotted as available in this forum. Have opened one- yum!

The question now is: can I just leave the bottles lying on it side sitting there in my day-to-day drinking wine cabinet (at room temperature) until such time I want to drink them? or shall I invest in a good small barrel (as discussed in previous threads here) and tip all of them in?

This then raises another question: can I mix the VP with tawny port or bulk port to fill up the barrel (if I do intend to go that direction)? Doesn't the port "mixture" then become NV??

...hmm...

Hi Milky,

You will need to keep them on their side to keep the corks wet and in good condition. I don't think you should be opening the bottles and pouring them in a barrel. I can't see how that would do anything but allow the wine to oxidise, and eventually turn to vinegar. In those half bottles, I think you'll find they'll last many, many years.
With regards to starting a barrel, I don't know an awful lot about that, but certainly it would become a non-vintage (NV) if you added different VP's, and tawny's into it.

VPs mature as other red wines would so putting them on their side in a dark cool spot is what you need to do. I'm not 100% on the barrel thoing but I think they've been through the barrel process and now mature in bottle. I've never heard of anyone doing VP in barrel - that's more a tawny thing. But I stand to be corrected. Thinking about it though, once bottles of VP are open, they tend to oxidise like table wine so I'm pretty certain this would not be a good path to follow.

I certainly wouldn't mix vintage and tawny. Very different beasties.

I asked this very question when I was up at Seppeltsfield, and got some rather amused looks.

From what I understand (and I'm sure others with more experience and knowledge will correct me if I'm wrong), Tawny is pre-oxidised. That means that in-barrel it won't go any 'further' into oxidation and turn to vinegar. VP, on the otherhand is simply fortified wine, and therefore will age best in a bottle, and putting it in a barrel is fast-tracking it to ruin.

I have had great success in making some ordinary tawny ports - much more drinkable by 'aging' them in a barrel.

Oh..... so, i have to treat VP exactly how I treat 'normal' red wine... something new I learn today.
I'm just going to keep them lying on their sides, in my wine cabinet, with my other red wines then.

definately no VP in the barrel ive been told.
u can try adding a better, aged, tawny to a few very young tawnys or bulk ruby port for the barrel. apparently over time the younger ones will inhibit the flavours of the better tawny.

rocket wrote:definately no VP in the barrel ive been told.
u can try adding a better, aged, tawny to a few very young tawnys or bulk ruby port for the barrel. apparently over time the younger ones will inhibit the flavours of the better tawny.

Inhibit or inhabit?

daz wrote:

rocket wrote:definately no VP in the barrel ive been told.
u can try adding a better, aged, tawny to a few very young tawnys or bulk ruby port for the barrel. apparently over time the younger ones will inhibit the flavours of the better tawny.

Inhibit or inhabit?

Actually should read the "better Tawny will enhance the flavour of the younger ones"..
Mike.

Muscat Mike wrote:

daz wrote:

rocket wrote:definately no VP in the barrel ive been told.
u can try adding a better, aged, tawny to a few very young tawnys or bulk ruby port for the barrel. apparently over time the younger ones will inhibit the flavours of the better tawny.

Inhibit or inhabit?

Actually should read the "better Tawny will enhance the flavour of the younger ones"..
Mike.

For those who have port barrels, that's good news!

daz