On Thursday, I went to a 94 Vintage pert vertical. I really enjoyed tasting everything and comparing them but after doing a tour in Portugal in May, I knew that if I did any more than small sips, I would be worthless on Friday. After I was done, I took an empty bottle and emptied my glasses into it minus the Cockburns which was a cut below the others. I plan to drink it over the next couple of days. I did the same in a 88 first growth Bordeaux tasting and enjoyed the blended wine with dinner the next night. It seems a crime to waste great wine. Does anyone else do this?
I know I have been a slacker at posting but the Taylor Port was drinking the best and I was a little disappointed on the finish of the Fonseca.
Someone brought a melange of old Medeira from a prior tasting, and years ago, the host of a group of mine saved and blended the leftovers from a Sauternes tasting. Not from their glasses (I trust) in either case, but the same concept. Both were very tasty. So I don’t see a problem.
Some friends and I have been known to make a Port cuvee, mostly while in Portugal, where we end up with a small amount in lots of different bottles. So long as they are all good quality, we’ll just toss them all into one bottle and it turns out pretty good for drinking over the next couple days.
You have to be sure not to add the duff bottles though.
I see no problem with it. But if it is from your glasses I would never serve it to others. I don’t know the science of alcohol and bacteria but I don’t want to drink your spit and mouth cells and gum bacteria that have had weeks to breed and I’d be pissed if I had a sip before you told me. But again if you keep it for yourself what is the harm? If you created it by pouring dregs from bottles I’d be intrigued to try it.
I would like to try that sometime. Unfortunately, I forget to go easy on the tastings, then I forget which wines I liked. By the end of the night, I don’t remember which bottles to save. The next day, I don’t remember why I have all those partially filled bottles. That’s why I’m married to Carrie. She seems to enjoy explaining things to me, in detail, loudly because she thinks I’m hard of hearing.
Never an issue for me. I spit at tastings so I can have all I want. I don’t have any tastebuds in my throat or stomach and don’t know anyone who does. I tasted 52 wines at Falltacular, stuffed myself on great food, then drove 5 hours back home.
Francois Mauss famously does this after his Grand Jury European events to varying degrees of success. I was at one in New York about 10 years ago, but after all the wine we had, I’m a but hazy on what actually happened.
I should have added that one of my co-workers at Morrell and Company in NY many years ago used to ‘marry’ the leftovers of similar wines, then age them for years, and claimed very good results. He used an Ah-So to remove and replace corks.
I actually did something a little like this when I visited Mouton Rothschild a year and a half ago. During the tasting part of the visit, we tasted Mouton, Clerc Milon and d’Armailhac. The Mouton was excellent, but both of the others seemed incomplete. The Clerc Milon had good fruit and the d’Armailhac had good structure. So, in front of the other people on the tour (and the horrified tour hostess), I combined what was left of my Clerc Milon with what was left of my d’Armailhac. You know what, it tasted better than either of the wines separately - although still not as good as the Mouton.
It has been enjoyable so far this week to have a glass of Port in the evening. Is is good as the 94 Taylor at the tasting? No. But it is way better than the Cockburn and way better than lesser types of Port and my enjoyment is much better than overindulging last week.