I was at a wine shop today and saw several fairly old bottles of vintage port. 1985 and 1994 were the oldest years. I considered buying some, but even though the wines were in this shop’s temperature-controlled cellar, who knows if those bottles were always stored properly? So, I got to thinking, since port is fortified, is it as “fragile” as a regular wine might be, in terms of temperature changes, etc.? That is, could a port withstand less-than-ideal temperatures (e.g. hot) for a longer period of time without spoiling than a regular wine could? This is assuming the cork doesn’t leak. I currently have one bottle of 2017 vintage port in my collection, and being that I’ve never had a vintage port, I’m interested in trying some that’s already got some significant age on it, since I don’t think I’ll be opening this 2017 bottle anytime soon.
No. If they have 94 Graham buy it.
Port is sturdy and I’d typically have no qualms over either vintage.
Cork failure/taint is always a possibility, and one small challenge, is that the dark glass used on port bottles can make it difficult to see the level, so take a pocket torch along and ask if it’s ok for you to check the level in the bottle using it.
Will you be drinking the whole bottle with friends? That’s the ideal, and if so, decant off the sediment (using that same pocket torch to see when the sediment starts to appear in the neck of the bottle). If you enjoy silly little traditions, here’s one that arose from a local dignitary https://www.taylor.pt/en/enjoy-port-wine/traditions/the-bishop-of-norwich and remember to pass the decanter/carafe promptly to the person on your left
A friend and I opened a bottle of 83 Hoopers - admittedly not an exalted producer - that had been sitting in his mom’s room temperature wetbar since the 1990’s. It was drinkable and recognizable as VP. Of course proper cellaring would have been better, but port is tougher than most dry red wines.
Older ports are often the same price or less than current releases in the auction market, and there are a few houses that offer single bottles, which might be a way to dip your toes into that.
Port is tough wine. I have yet to have port that was totally destroyed except for it being corked.
Someone I know had their small thermoelectric wine fridge they used for VP fail. It cooked the bottles at around 85-90 for somewhere between a few days to a month (they didn’t know when it failed). I am not sure if I could tell a difference in the wines. There may have been a bit of difference in the nuances, but because I knew the wines were heat damaged I may have been searching for flaws.
My rule of thumb on 750ml bottles - if the price is good, fill level is reasonable for the vintage, seepage is minimal, and it is from the mid-80s onward, I really don’t worry about the past too much. I have not had great luck with 375s, even when perfectly stored they never hold up to their 750ml big brothers.
Do people really find Port half bottles to be markedly worse than 750s? It’s such a standard size for port to come in…they have held up well for me but I’ve had few 750s
Speaking of the durability of Port, how long do / can you leave bottles out after opening? I always thought you could let an open bottle of port hang out for 3 or 4 days with no problem but recently saw someone saying you should finish the day you open - seems off to me, especially given the alcohol
VP in 375s: if they are young there are no issues. Around the 20 year mark something is always off regarding the development for me. I can’t put my finger on it but I’ve just given up on buying 375s of VP.
I would say both statements are valid. It may not be as good on days 2-4, but the drop off isn’t typically severe as with table wines, but that will depend on how old it is on opening!
For the benefit of the Americans here, torch = flashlight.
When we think of torches, we’re more likely to think of these:
Thank you for clarifying that John
On more than one occasion, I have seen quality Vintage Port fall apart after being open for a couple of days.
I never had problems concerning aged 375 ml bottles going the distance.
Port is so tannic and concentrated (plus fortification w/ alcohol) upon release that it has the stuffing for cellaring - even under subpar storage conditions.
Port is sturdier than table wines, but aging over decades will affect it. Poorly stored wines will exacerbate problems. I’ve had Vintages Ports only 20-30 years old which had the color washed out and tasting more like a tawny Port. Other examples of the same wine were way too youthful.
I’d drink Vintage Ports over a couple days, but it will change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Just buy them both. Drink them.
I started a fortified experiment in '16 with Sangiovese, then lost interest. The fruit was so bright and obnoxious at first. Pressed at a friend’s place, brought home and fortified. After racking for sediment, I filled a 5 gallon carboy and put the rest in a 6 1/2 gallon. But, that was about 5 gallons. I thought about getting another 5 gallon carboy to transfer that into, but it was really surplus. I was taking guidance from an Angelica “recipe”, which has you hard bunging the wine for a year, no SO2. I was thinking I’d get a tawny and a ruby. I did sample the “ruby” about a year out and it was still “too much”. Didn’t want to open up the other, given the 1 1/2 gallon headspace. So, in 2019 I brought out the “tawny” to check, and bottle if it was any good. Um… It was rather brown and had a flor yeast. Quite scary. Taking a sample, it tasted like how a lot of very old (50+ years) California ports get. Some over-the-hill state that won’t progress any further, but are somewhat enjoyable. Some people like it. I think it’s funny. With the real experiment, at 3 years no SO2 it turned tawny and is reminiscent of an Angelica, but with some backbone of acid and tannin. Pretty good.
Adam-As an aside for future reference, a friend introduced me to young port a few years ago and I highly recommend it. It’s a really great and unique experience. While most of my port sits at least 15-20 years before drinking, I always buy and pour some right after they are released (they usually start showing up in the winter two years following the vintage), before they have a chance to shut down. Cheers.
Along with most posters, I find that VP handles rough treatment better than any other wine. I also find that it ages almost as well in 375ml, which is the right size for me.
Dan Kravitz
Typically, for a young VP you’re good for a few days open for best results. An older VP, 2 days tops. Really old VP, enjoy it all on day one.
VP does age faster in smaller bottles and slower in larger bottles just like red wine does.