For The Love Of Port

I am considering bidding on the following port on the Acker Merrall December auction (ending Dec. 14th), but want to make sure I am not bidding against any fellow FTLOPers:

1. 1945 Croft (current bid $480 for 1 bottle)
2. 1977 Taylor Fladgate (current bid $480 for 6 bottles)
3. 1994 Taylor Fladgate (various offerings)
4. 1994 Fonseca (current bid $320 for 4 bottles)
5. 2000 Vesuvio (current bid $400 for 12 bottles)
6. 1945 Niepoort (current bid $550, although the website shows this offering is 1 pint)

I also would be more than happy to split any of the multi-bottle offerings if anyone was so inclined.

Bob

Thank you for your consideration. I had put that 1977 Taylor on my watchlist, but will defer to you. The only other Port I had put on my watchlist thus far was lot 14105, 4x 1963 Fonseca, which already has a bid of $700 by MannieFresh. I'll update this thread if I bid on it. I do have one bid on some Amerone (lot 17319), and was watching a bunch of Sauternes and other wines as well. But I've only skimmed through half of the auction listings thus far. There are lots of lots in this auction.

Edit: No, not going to bid on the 1963 Fonseca. Flickinger and BPW both have it for $249, so the next bid increment would hit 93% of retail. And all four bottles at auction have signs of seepage.

Thanks Eric

Eric Menchen wrote: Edit: No, not going to bid on the 1963 Fonseca. Flickinger and BPW both have it for $249, so the next bid increment would hit 93% of retail. And all four bottles at auction have signs of seepage.

What older ports at auction don't have signs of seepage?

Moses Botbol wrote:What older ports at auction don't have signs of seepage?

I've bought cases of 1970 where just a few of the bottles have SOS. I have some 1960s bottles (and had a 1955) that I don't recall SOS, although certainly I've had some that have as well.

Eric Menchen wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:What older ports at auction don't have signs of seepage?

I've bought cases of 1970 where just a few of the bottles have SOS. I have some 1960s bottles (and had a 1955) that I don't recall SOS, although certainly I've had some that have as well.

My comment is a bit in jest, but the majority of bottles that old and older do not look pristine in terms of the capsule so it is inevitable that there will be some potentially deterring description associate with at least some bottles in every case. Protruding cork, light/cloudy color, and leaking are the most worrisome to me.

Moses Botbol wrote:

Eric Menchen wrote: Edit: No, not going to bid on the 1963 Fonseca. Flickinger and BPW both have it for $249, so the next bid increment would hit 93% of retail. And all four bottles at auction have signs of seepage.

What older ports at auction don't have signs of seepage?

99% of the older ones I've bought don't have seepage. I will take a rare gamble on older stuff that has some old SOS, but the price has to reflex the gamble on if it's still good or not. Sadly, people think they can still charge high prices for SOS bottles and some people are dumb enough to pay it. Just my

Only one of 9 bottles if Graham's I bought last year had signs if seepage, and they were all 1963 or older. Mist of the negatives involved cosmetic label or capsule damage, which I don't care about.

Gee, thanks Tapatalk autocorrect. I totally meant if, if, and mist.

I put a bid in for the 45' Croft and 1 lot of the 94' Taylor. I haven't made my mind up about the 45' Niepoort yet.

Eric, I am passing on the 77' Taylor, hopefully, you still will go after that lot.

Bob

R Bull wrote:I put a bid in for the 45' Croft and 1 lot of the 94' Taylor. I haven't made my mind up about the 45' Niepoort yet.
Eric, I am passing on the 77' Taylor, hopefully, you still will go after that lot.

No, I think I'm going to pass on that. I was considering the 1994s, but dropped them off my watchlist since you were bidding on them. I'll send an e-mail if I want to add them back (the Fonseca or other Taylor), but I think I'm going to pass on Port this time. At the moment I have bids in on a Filhot, three Spanish lots, and some Amarone. I was already outbid on some Moet & Chandon. I was still looking at other Spanish wines, some Bordeaux (red and Sauternes), possibly some Vin Santo ... I can provide details if anyone cares about these non-Port wines.