'77 Barbossa Colheita - bottle date question

[Mike Kerr]

I have an opportunity to purchase a '77 Barbossa Colheita for around $40 if memory serves. I thought it was a good price, but then discovered it was bottled in 1986.

From what I understand about colheitas and tawnies, can I assume this is not worth the purchase?

Mike.

[Richard Henderson]

While I don't know that specific colheita, I bought 4 bottles of 1977 Royal Oporto colheita for something like $50-60 a couple of years ago.
I have liked it very much and consider it good value. At $40, if you make the "assumption" that it is not worth it, tell the rest of us where it is and we'll take a chance

I am sure Roy has superior knowledge on the subject, but colheitas and tawnies are more of a matter of style and taste v. ruby vintage ports.
If this coheita was bottled in 1986, I think that means it stayed in the barrel for nine years. Depending on the type of cork, i.e. was it one with a plastic cap that would prevent further aging or a regular cork that would allow more oxidation and aging?
I would be quick to try one bottle and decide if I liked it. At $40, could be a deal.

[Mike Kerr]

Thanks for the reply!

I was always under the impression that with any tawnies that the longer it sat in the bottle, the less drinkable it would be.

Of course the more I think about it, the more I think that doesn't make a lot of sense, but if someone could clarify, it would be appreciated!

Mike.

[Frederick Blais]

Mike, the problem with bottle aged tawny or colheita is that not much experimenting have been done or if it was done, I never saw the result.

One thing is for sure is that when it is bottled, 95% of the producer intend to make a product to be drunk in its first 2 years after bottling. A few producers do intend or planify the Port to age in bottle and that it will benefit from it over time.

Now is a bottle of tawny or colheita that was not intend to bottle age and have pass almost 20 years into bottle is dead? probably not. The real question is probably is it better now than it was 20 years ago? Very hard to tell!

I'm surprised to see Barbossa written with 2 "S" because in Portugal I've seen many and only Barbosa family name written with one "S".

[jon bricken]

I never had a tawney or colheita port and was wondedring if tawny's and colheita's are not consumed within two years of bottling do they start to decline?

[Richard Henderson]

Roy will probably give us the definitive word, but the answer is no.

Colheitas and tawnies may not change much after bottling, depending upon how they are corked , but once sealed in a bottle, they certainly hold for more than 2 years and certainly do not decline. There is enough brandy and residual fruit that there will be very little difference for many , many years.