What age is too old for Port?

[Mahmoud Ali]

reading just the title i thought 'how can you be to old to drink port?'

Hilarious, love it!

Very interesting thread. I try and cellar almost every type of port, whether simple LBVs or "traditional", crusted and vintage but have no fixed idea of how long to keep them. It's mostly based on a gut feeling that takes into consideration type, vintage, and producer. A recent look at some ports in the cellar had me eyeing a few that warrant opening.

2000 Graham's LBV - A forgotten bottle, this is probably the one most in need of drinking as Graham's LBVs are usually simple, filtered and bottled after the maximum 6 years.
1996 Ferreira LBV - This was a dry, mineral-laced, tannic port when I tried it many years ago (the a back label suggests pairing it with venison or pepper steak). Not a noted vintage but it was bottled with the minimum 4 years.
Churchill Crusted Port (Bottled in 2002) - This was flat out delicious when it was young. I have no experience with aged crusted port and this one is now 16 years since bottling.
1994 Duff Gordon VP - An Osborne brand from a good vintage, I suspect this might be in it's prime.
1992 Warre's Taditional LBV - This one is likely to be the most backward mainly because it is Warre's, it is from a good vintage (they declared in 1991 not 1992), it is unfiltered, and bottled after 4 years.

If I was to predict if any of these ports are too old I would say it would be the Graham's LBV.

Mahmoud.

[Al B.]

I've had another think about the question and split it between different types of Port.

With colheita or tawny port I generally like the bottles fresh, soon after bottling while the acidity is still sharp and dominant.

With vintage port my sweet spot is probably in the 40-75 range (1942-1977) but I'll happily choose to open something older for enjoyment if the occasion arises - I shared a magnificent bottle of Taylor 1924 with my daughter's boyfriend earlier this year.

With proper LBV, they are great with 20-35 years behind them. Warre 1981 or Ferreira 1996 are a couple of examples of proper LBVs which are drinking well to my taste at the moment.

Crusted is less easy. I rarely manage to keep my hands off my Crusted Ports for long enough to enjoy them at their best, but I try to leave these for at least 20 years.

[Mahmoud Ali]

With proper LBV, they are great with 20-35 years behind them. Warre 1981 or Ferreira 1996 are a couple of examples of proper LBVs which are drinking well to my taste at the moment.

Good to hear about the Ferreira, it's one I am planning on trying in the near future. When you say "proper" do you also mean they are unfiltered? I ask because my bottle of the '96 Ferreira makes no mention of it,

Crusted is less easy. I rarely manage to keep my hands off my Crusted Ports for long enough to enjoy them at their best, but if I try to leave these for at least 20 years.

I did not realize that Crusted Port is supposed to be kept that long.

Mahmoud.

[Tom Archer]

When you say "proper" do you also mean they are unfiltered? I ask because my bottle of the '96 Ferreira makes no mention of it,

A pet beef of mine is the lack of clarity on filtration. Many LBVs are unfiltered or virtually unfiltered, but don't say so, and age really well, whilst others are stripped bare and don't keep at all well. A situation that leaves one guessing. Not wishing too onerous an imposition on the producers when labelling, I favour the concept of 'F numbers' that can be tucked away somewhere on the label, F0 meaning wholly unfiltered ranging to perhaps F4 to indicate heavy filtration. The exact definitions of each grade could be agreed with the producers.

I did not realize that Crusted Port is supposed to be kept that long.

I regard twenty years as rather too young for drinking crusted - good ones age as well as vintage..

[Al B.]

With proper LBV, they are great with 20-35 years behind them. Warre 1981 or Ferreira 1996 are a couple of examples of proper LBVs which are drinking well to my taste at the moment.

Good to hear about the Ferreira, it's one I am planning on trying in the near future. When you say "proper" do you also mean they are unfiltered? I ask because my bottle of the '96 Ferreira makes no mention of it.

Ferreira (and Offley and Sandeman) are some of the producers who do not filter or cold stabilise and fine their LBV before bottling. Many of the smaller producers are the same.

[Derek T.]

I agree with Alex.

So do I, and I was there

[Roy Hersh]

A few years ago, I brought a 1929 Cockburn's to LA for a Port tasting organized by Andy. Average score amongst the people who spoke up was 92-93 points. We got lucky as who expects to ever taste an old bottle of Crusted Port like that in the USA? It was something I had purchased recently at a fair price and hoped would show well; ergo, lucky.

[Mahmoud Ali]

- I shared a magnificent bottle of Taylor 1924 with my daughter's boyfriend earlier this year.

Can I be your daughter's boyfriend? Please?

[Al B.]

- I shared a magnificent bottle of Taylor 1924 with my daughter's boyfriend earlier this year.

Can I be your daughter's boyfriend? Please?

It was an unknown which I thought, from the bottle, was probably from the 1960s or perhaps the 1950s. We opened it with tongs and enjoyed (quite) a few sips while the glass with the cork in it cooled down. About an hour after opening it I pushed the cork out and we found it wasn't Taylor 1966 as I had been sold it — it was Taylor 1924.

And he only came round to borrow a suitcase!