For The Love Of Port

A very reliable retailer. Thanks David!

http://www.farrvintners.com/winelist.php?region=13

I know nothing about this retailer, but they have a lot of 2011 listings now:
http://www.bwiltd.co.uk/products/search ... y=Portugal
including the Graham's Stone Terraces and Vesuvio Capela.

Eric Menchen wrote:including the Graham's Stone Terraces

£480 per case. Case: 6 × Bottle (750ml). Ouch.

Glenn E. wrote:

Eric Menchen wrote:including the Graham's Stone Terraces

£480 per case. Case: 6 × Bottle (750ml). Ouch.

But nowhere near the premium Nacional commands vs. the regular Noval VP, although I'm sure they'd like to get to that point.

Roy, when will we get your tasting notes on the 2011?

Probably after the harvest. I am not one to care about having an affect on the marketplace, others rush to gain that type of incluence and put out tasting notes they've taken from a two minute taste of a Port while looking at the producer who poured it and the label of course. Those types of snapshot views, do nothing for me. Sure it can give you an immediate idea whether you like it or not, but there's no way from that type of sip or three that you can really tell that much about the Port's longevity and overall quality. I understand the need some journos feel to be the first to get their notes online and be "in the game" to steer buying habits of consumers. However, that is not one that I've ever cared about playing. So I take my sweet time, taste early and often and over and over again, until I am very comfortable with my scores and culmination of notes and comprehensive understanding of the vintage across as many producers as I can muster tasting.

I have been in discussions to rent a tasting room in Porto, not Gaia this time in a private and remote location. Considering tasting over a couple of weeks, which will allow me to try the same bottles over and over for at least three days if not four. Can't wait.

Sorry, as I realize that this is a very long answer to your question.

Roy Hersh wrote:Probably after the harvest. I am not one to care about having an affect on the marketplace, others rush to gain that type of incluence and put out tasting notes they've taken from a two minute taste of a Port while looking at the producer who poured it and the label of course. Those types of snapshot views, do nothing for me. Sure it can give you an immediate idea whether you like it or not, but there's no way from that type of sip or three that you can really tell that much about the Port's longevity and overall quality. I understand the need some journos feel to be the first to get their notes online and be "in the game" to steer buying habits of consumers. However, that is not one that I've ever cared about playing. So I take my sweet time, taste early and often and over and over again, until I am very comfortable with my scores and culmination of notes and comprehensive understanding of the vintage across as many producers as I can muster tasting.

I have been in discussions to rent a tasting room in Porto, not Gaia this time in a private and remote location. Considering tasting over a couple of weeks, which will allow me to try the same bottles over and over for at least three days if not four. Can't wait.

Sorry, as I realize that this is a very long answer to your question.

Now this....I like and respect

This is how this matter should be approached.

Roy, sequestered in his hermitage cell, again.
Seriously, I know how much really hard work this it and thank you for it.

Roy Hersh wrote:Probably after the harvest.
(...)
I have been in discussions to rent a tasting room in Porto, not Gaia this time in a private and remote location. Considering tasting over a couple of weeks, which will allow me to try the same bottles over and over for at least three days if not four. Can't wait.

Sorry, as I realize that this is a very long answer to your question.

Look fwd to reading them after the harvest then :) sounds like quite the process! That's why I keep going back to your initial tasting notes for some of the stuff i am now looking at, the process transpires into great TNs.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:

Eric Menchen wrote:including the Graham's Stone Terraces

£480 per case. Case: 6 × Bottle (750ml). Ouch.

But nowhere near the premium Nacional commands vs. the regular Noval VP, although I'm sure they'd like to get to that point.

Still a good deal cheaper than TVVV though, which is probably a closer comparison.

Observing people in the dedicated 2011 tasting room and producer stands at the Big Fortified Tasting in London last Wednesday, I detected a fair bit of excitement and interest in the Capela and the Stone Terraces (and strangely not quite so much around the TVVV, despite its obvious charms) - while the price may put some people off, i suspect they will get high marks from some influential critics and personally i wouldn't be hanging around until after harvest if you want to secure some of those. The UK allocation is 40 cases of each, i believe, which seems tight. But it will be interesting to see how these sell - i could be completely wrong and they are left on the shelf!

EDIT: At Lay and Wheeler, Capela and Stone Terraces sold out this morning within a couple of hours of their 2011 offer going live. I think the Stone Terraces was being offered by them at £560 per six in bond....

From TCWC e-mail I just received:
2011 Cockburn, Vintage Port (750ml) $68.95 each
2011 Dow, Vintage Port (375ml) $40.50 each
2011 Dow, Vintage Port (750ml) $80.50 each
2011 Fonseca, Vintage Port (375ml) $43.50 each
2011 Fonseca, Vintage Port (750ml) $85.50 each
2011 Graham, Vintage Port (375ml) $41.95 each
2011 Graham, Vintage Port (750ml) $83.95 each
2011 Taylor, Vintage Port (375ml) $43.50 each
2011 Taylor, Vintage Port (750ml) $85.50 each
2011 Warre, Vintage Port (375ml) $35.95 each
2011 Warre, Vintage Port (750ml) $71.50 each

Eric Menchen wrote:From TCWC e-mail I just received:
2011 Cockburn, Vintage Port (750ml) $68.95 each
2011 Dow, Vintage Port (375ml) $40.50 each
2011 Dow, Vintage Port (750ml) $80.50 each
2011 Fonseca, Vintage Port (375ml) $43.50 each
2011 Fonseca, Vintage Port (750ml) $85.50 each
2011 Graham, Vintage Port (375ml) $41.95 each
2011 Graham, Vintage Port (750ml) $83.95 each
2011 Taylor, Vintage Port (375ml) $43.50 each
2011 Taylor, Vintage Port (750ml) $85.50 each
2011 Warre, Vintage Port (375ml) $35.95 each
2011 Warre, Vintage Port (750ml) $71.50 each

So likely $150-ish for Vesuvio Capela, Graham Stone Terraces, and Taylor Vargellas Vinha Velha if they even get them. /sigh

Glenn E. wrote:So likely $150-ish for Vesuvio Capela, Graham Stone Terraces, and Taylor Vargellas Vinha Velha if they even get them. /sigh

The "all-in" price for TVVV in the UK came out at about £140 per bottle. For Stone Terraces it was about £100 per bottle all-in. Capela was somewhat cheaper at just under £65 per bottle all-in. No sign of Nacional yet.

Will be interesting to see whether release prices are comparable in the US - already L'Assemblage in the UK are listing their remaining Capela at £195 per single bottle in bond (equivalent to just under £240 all-in) and it is only available for purchase on a 1:4 basis with other 2011 ports...link. Crazy...

Rob C. wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:So likely $150-ish for Vesuvio Capela, Graham Stone Terraces, and Taylor Vargellas Vinha Velha if they even get them. /sigh

The "all-in" price for TVVV in the UK came out at about £140 per bottle. For Stone Terraces it was about £100 per bottle all-in. Capela was somewhat cheaper at just under £65 per bottle all-in. No sign of Nacional yet.

Will be interesting to see whether release prices are comparable in the US - already L'Assemblage in the UK are listing their remaining Capela at £195 per single bottle in bond (equivalent to just under £240 all-in) and it is only available for purchase on a 1:4 basis with other 2011 ports...link. Crazy...

Guess that means the optimal buying strategy would be to win the lotto and stock up!

Rob C. wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:So likely $150-ish for Vesuvio Capela, Graham Stone Terraces, and Taylor Vargellas Vinha Velha if they even get them. /sigh

The "all-in" price for TVVV in the UK came out at about £140 per bottle. For Stone Terraces it was about £100 per bottle all-in. Capela was somewhat cheaper at just under £65 per bottle all-in. No sign of Nacional yet.

Will be interesting to see whether release prices are comparable in the US - already L'Assemblage in the UK are listing their remaining Capela at £195 per single bottle in bond (equivalent to just under £240 all-in) and it is only available for purchase on a 1:4 basis with other 2011 ports...link. Crazy...

Two days ago the Capela at L'Assemblage was £160 for a 3 pack (approx $83 / bottle). So they must be down to their last bottles.

I love watching the pre-release prices of Port and remember the first vintage where I ever paid attention was 1991, pre-computer usage for me. Times have changed as even mid-1990's including 1994 ... VP's topped at $40 USD pre-release, except for Nacional of course.

Worth comparing to US pricing for those that with the flexibility to purchase within UK.