Opened vintage port - how long will it last?

cokenchips · Post by **cokenchips** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 7:38 am

Hi,

I used to work at a restaurant of decent repute and one of our sommeliers told me that I could open a bottle of vintage port and enjoy it for weeks without worries of it going bad. Is this true? I've looked all over the internet and get quite contrasting views on this topic.

The reason I ask is because I have a bottle of '83 Dow's (it was a gift to my brother who was born in 1983) and we want to open it, but are not sure if we should wait until we have the assurance of company. While I do enjoy the prospect of consuming half a bottle of the port myself, it's a luxury I'd like to share.

Can I leave it around or should I wait until the weekend so it can be shared soon after its deflowering?

Thanks.

Stuart Chatfield · Post by **Stuart Chatfield** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:38 am

I wouldn't say weeks. For an 80s vintage (in a decanter) it will, let's say, "evolve" over a few days. It'll probably reach its peak after about 12 -24 hours and be fine on days 2 and 3. However, after that it may start to deteriorate. I wouldn't leave it more than 4/5 days.

What a lot of us do is open a bottle and immediately pour half into a half bottle (almost to the top) and then stopper the half bottle to exclude almost all the air. In the fridge at just above freezing you could keep your second half for a week or more in this way whilst you drink the remaining half. (decanting one bottle into two vessels without stirring up the sediment takes a bit of practice!) I've kept a '60 perfectly well for a week like that. Be quick, though, but gentle in the puring technique to avoid air getting shaken into the half bottle's contents.

I know this works as you'll see (20 year old +) port is pale when you first pour but gets darker over the evening. When I've opened that second half bottle a few days later it is still pale but then gets darker shortly after, giving some evidence that this system has prevented (or reduced) oxidation of the second half

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:47 am

Dear Cokenchips,

Welcome to FOR THE LOVE OF PORT Forum and I hope you have fun here. Please add your first and last name and location to your profile so that you can become a vital member of our community. We'll be happy to share ideas and suggestions with you, but this is made much easier when we know where you are and at least your full name.

Thank you in advance, for your cooperation!

cokenchips · Post by **cokenchips** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 11:08 pm

Thank you for the help!

Moses Botbol · Post by **Moses Botbol** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:46 pm

Stuart Chatfield wrote:I wouldn't say weeks. For an 80s vintage (in a decanter) it will, let's say, "evolve" over a few days. It'll probably reach its peak after about 12 -24 hours and be fine on days 2 and 3. However, after that it may start to deteriorate. I wouldn't leave it more than 4/5 days.

I agree.

4 days would be my max. I just put an '83 Cockurn into a 350 bottle and it did not slow down the deterioration much at all (as I hoped it would). 2-3 people can finish a bottle in one sitting no problem, so maybe you should just wait it out and enjoy with it your friends/family?

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:44 pm

I just put an '83 Cockurn into a 350 bottle and it did not slow down the deterioration much at all (as I hoped it would).

Moses,

Did you refrigerate the 375 of the Cockburn's after you had filled it up? Also did you fill it all the way up to the closure/cork?

Moses Botbol · Post by **Moses Botbol** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:40 pm

Roy Hersh wrote: Did you refrigerate the 375 of the Cockburn's after you had filled it up? Also did you fill it all the way up to the closure/cork?

Yes, I had filled my handy Lustau bottle to the very top and placed it on the bottom shelf of my wine fridge. I was expecting better results, and was quite suprised that the port did not last that well.

Tom Archer · Post by **Tom Archer** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:57 am

If there's two of you drinking the bottle, then getting through it too quickly should be the bigger problem...

Tom

Moses Botbol · Post by **Moses Botbol** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:25 pm

uncle tom wrote:If there's two of you drinking the bottle, then getting through it too quickly should be the bigger problem...

Tom

I agree. In my earlier post we drank a magnum and a bottle between 3 and the '83 was the leftover as two had to drive home...

Stuart Chatfield · Post by **Stuart Chatfield** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:59 am

Moses Botbol wrote:
........ placed it on the bottom shelf of my wine fridge...............

I put those half bottles in the general fridge - i.e. at about 35-40F. I keep my wine fridge at about 50-55F. I think that 15-20F makes a lot of difference.

I know that, as my wine fridge is locked and I have the only key. On occasions when I have had to be discreet about quite how many bottles I'm going through, I've tried storing half bottles there

) It keeps less well than in the general kitchen fridge that is accessed and policed by the great enforcer at home!