For The Love Of Port

Timothy B. wrote:trying it when I got home was that I enjoyed the first few sips. Then I had dinner (left-over ham and cornbread). When I settled down to continue the glass I then found it too simple

That might be dinner warping your palate. As plain as ham sounds, it's typically pretty salty and that can have a dramatic effect on your taste buds.

Though this does nothing to explain why refreshing the glass with more Port from the fridge helped...

At a serious tasting there's usually no food even in the room because just the aromas can affect the tasting. A larger tasting might serve some plain white bread or rolls and water to use as a palate cleanser, but that's usually it.

(Which, of course, never stops us from having less formal tastings in restaurants... but even I can tell that it affects the results and I'm really pretty much still a novice.)

I am amazed how tastebuds can be affected by different things. Sometimes I think even my mood might make a difference in whether I like a particular wine. But maybe that's just me.

Is that so unusual Melanie? I'm certain that the company I'm in dramatically influences my enjoyment of food and wine.

-- T

Trader Joe's in Manhattan (14th St) has the QH 07 VP for $34.99. I bought a pair last week and just finished drinking a bottle (notes to be posted shortly) which I enjoyed very much. Today I went back to replace the bottle I drank and also picked up a bottle of the QH 10yr Tawny for $15.99. They also have the 04 QH LBV for $12.99.

I didn't know if it was unusual or not--I am a pretty new wine drinker, so haven't had a chance to learn a lot of the extremely basic observations that are probably to most of you by now.

Timothy B. wrote:I'm certain that the company I'm in dramatically influences my enjoyment of food and wine.

Location has a big effect too... by far the best bottle of Ramos Pinto 20 Year Old Tawny Port that I ever tasted was in the garden of the Solar do Vinho do Porto. Was it really that much better, or was I just enchanted by the view of the Douro river and the scent of the garden we were sitting in?

The 2007 VP is available at the TJs right by my place, at the $35 mentioned by others already. Is this one for real, and worth the $35? I'd be inclined to give it a shot, and I did read Lamont's TN (very thorough notes, I must say). I do not have any experience with Quarles Harris. Is it a lower tier port, or is this producer way underrated?

Quarles Harris is a lower tier port. But it is produced by the Symington family, so it still is going to be a quality product, IMHO. This is based on my perception of the Symingtons and tasting of other QH, but not this particular vintage. Yes, it isn't Dow, Warre, or Graham, or even Smith Woodhouse or Quinta Do Vesuvio. But those first three, and these days the Vesuvio, run $60, and the Smith Woodhouse is going for $50. This is $35. I bet if it were not Trader Joe's you'd be paying $45 in the U.S.

Thanks, Eric. Good points made.

I'm curious as to what Symington would do differently with the QH label versus its other labels. Are the factors that contributed to QH being a lower tier house still present? Did Symington buy QH in an attempt to reach a new market segment, or did it buy it because it saw a very undervalued property that could be elevated above its standing at the time?

WARNING: This is pure speculation on my part.

It is my perception that the Martinez and Quarles Harris labels are used to fill a market segment when there are grapes available to do so. If it is a good year, lots of Port can be produced. Graham's and Dow etc. will be made by picking fine grapes and blending good juice to fit the house styles. But gosh, we still can make some really good Port with what we have left, maybe blend in some of this good stuff to make a really drinkable product. And since not everyone wants to spend $60 or more for a bottle, we can sell it to someone for a little less.

Or maybe these are just bigger names in other markets, produced for those markets. I do see these a lot in UK listings. On the other hand, the UK is a bigger market in terms of the percentage of the population than the US, so maybe this is also the filling a market segment factor.

Quarles Harris, unlike some of the other Symington brands, is not a recent acquisition. There is a slight bit of information at this wine merchant website, and this interesting bit:

Peter Symington, has a simple saying to remember about Quarles Harris: "Unless they are good we don't bottle them. They are Ports that are sold on sample (meaning merchants want to taste them before buying) and don't sell simply on reputation".

Anyone have thoughts on how long this port could be stored? I'm just starting to build a collection and this would be a nice way to buy a few bottles to sit for 15-20 years. It would be my first VP purchase.

I haven't had the 2007 Quarles Harris, but of the 25+ 2007 VPs that I've had I feel very confident that they will all cellar for at least 20 years and in most cases 30 or more. Quarles Harris may be a 2nd tier label, but they make quality Ports so have no fear purchasing and storing for 20+ years.

My understanding is that Quarles Harris is and has always been a Port Shipper, rather than being a Port Producer. The firm and the brand has been attached to Warre for two or three hundred years and is part of the Symington group through that association. QH do not own any quintas or vineyards and, most unimaginable of all in this day and age, don't even have a website

I think of QH as being a brand that is used by the Symingtons to market very good but not spectacular wines that would not "fit" with the house style of their sibling shipping companies. As far as I can determine, QH does not have a particular "style", it just tends to be good quality vintage port at a very good price.

I would add that I can't ever remember having a bad one, perhaps due to the fact that they are never under pressure to declare?

Derek

Well I just picked up 2 of them. MY FIRST VINTAGE PURCHASE! I'll probably go back after next check and pick up another one or two so I can have a few to store and one to drink so I can try out a young vintage port. I know this isn't the best vintage port around but for someone just stepping into the port world on a low budget it fits the bill.