For The Love Of Port

Auction prices haven't been that good for a couple of years.

Roy Hersh wrote:If you purchased 1963 Graham's at $150 per bottle last year, I'd make sure to pop one and make sure it is good. Sometimes, when prices seem too good to be true ... there is a reason. Not saying that was the case for your purchase CJ, but I'd be a skeptic if someone approached me with a price like that (even a year ago). I remember thinking I got a good deal for ex-cellars bottles of that exact VP at $109, back in 1991-1992, along with Taylor and Fonseca. Given that these were all in the $300+ range not long ago, to see them sold for half price would cause concern, especially at auction.

The good news on this is we opened one of the bottles last Thanksgiving, posted a picture on port raits. The fill level was in the neck, cork was in good shape, crumbled a bit and decancted. A great bottle. I went back in looked, this was an Acker auction from 2008, in the doldrums of the economy.

The vote totals have changed a bit since I last looked in on this thread. Very interesting!

Oh heck yes. While there is financial risk to investing in Port now, rather than some other depressed market asset, I will feel so much better opening an old bottle i got on the cheap in the past few years (to say nothing of how i'll feel after drinking it). Prices rebounded a bit early this year, but they're back down again.

Still not seeing the deals on VP like I use to. Too many people reading and then hunt down the deals before I can.

Although I am always an advocate of buying new Vintage Port when young to ensure provenance, first and foremost ... given the price of admission, I'd be foolish to not point out the great buying opportunity that still exists to back fill one's Port collection.

Although I definitely believe the prices of today's young Vintage Ports are worth the money being charged (in the majority of cases), that doesn't mean that I am blind to the fact that buying older 15-25 year old bottlings at the equivalent cost of today's VP release prices wouldn't be a smarter investment in future drinking pleasure, especially for older buyers (but certainly not limited to one's age).