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Hello! I am a broke university student with a taste for port (I tend to drink young LBVs mostly). For my birthday, I was given a bottle of 1963 vintage port with no label and 'Avery's Finest Reserve Port 1963' on the top of the sealed cap and 'Avery's of Bristol' on the side. I have every reason to believe it has been stored properly until it came to me. Because it will be years before the student loans get paid off and I can bid on mature ports myself, I really want to get the most out of this experience, so have many questions!First, how do I store this properly? Where can I find out about this port? I don't know whether to drink it now, or if it's better to wait, or how to even find out. (Generic web searches have got me nowhere.) Is there any place I can go for tasting notes? (I am trying to appreciate and learn about what I'm drinking so I like to have more 'expert' opinions to compare my take on things, sometime.)
I've never had a vintage port before and am terrified of hanging on to this bottle lest I ruin it by storing it wrong, letting it go past its prime, or just looking at it wrong, and I'm terrified to drink it lest I drink it too soon, do this decanting/muslin(??) business wrong, or taste it unprepaired and 'miss out' on unique (for me!!) aspects of the taste experience because I haven't done the research to know what it is I'm enjoying.
Of course, I suppose I could just have a cheap dud from a bad year on my hands which is waaaay past its prime and never meant to be laid down this long--oo, I don't know and am terrified and excited at the same time and don't know who to ask and where to go 'cause I have funky dyed hair and too many piercings for a lot of wine people to take me seriously!! Oh help! Many, many thanks for your help and especially for providing a forum for people like me who love wine and want to learn more, but who are too broke and/or intimidated to throw their hats in the ring with the UberSnobs.
Follow Ups:
The 63 vintage ports I've consumed were the finest ports I've ever had, with the possible exception of a '47 Croft. The Croft and Fonseca's were particularly good. Store as folks have suggested, on its side in a cool place, but rotate 180 degrees twice a year to keep the cork from drying out. I assume a 63 would have a lead foil cap. If you lift the foil and the cork underneath is 'crumbly', stand upright for a day, decant, and drink immediately. As you don't really know how its been stored, I'd drink it sooner than latter. A good Stilton and some nice grapes and nuts are the perfect with a good port. But most importantly, someone to share it with who will appreciate it makes the experience that much more enjoyable.Damn, I'm jealous. I fininshed my 63s about a decade ago...
1963 was one of the best 2 years for port since the end of the second world war. Avery's of Bristol is a well known and respected wine merchant in the UK. they are still going strong. I met John Avery a few months ago at a private tasting. At that time they did indeed import their own port and then bottle it in the UK. I think you'll find your bottle wonderful when you open it. It will still have another 10-12 years in it yet, so don't hurry!
While many people have said this wine may be worth saving and it is probably in good to great shape, to be perfectly honest, I have my doubts. WHile 1963 was a great year, most of the great ones were bottled by British firms who were tha main shippers at that time. SOme time later, I'd guess around the 1970s, port vintners began bottling their own and these have kept much better than the one that were shipped in large vessels and bottled by the British shippers.while it may have survived in good shape, I wouldn't count on it lasting a lot longer,since it has now been "disturbed" and who knows what kind of knocking about it has been through since it was taken from its resting place and sold. (FYI if it was in guaranteed great shape, it wouldn't have sold as cheaply as one other person has noted. 1963s would, here in the States, be going for close to $1000.00, IF their condition can be guaranteed.)
I'd make it's kept cool and stablefor a while to insure it settles back down. Then I'd suggest opening it at the nearest good opportunity. Enjoy it before it turns to ...
(I had saved and tried several of the more well known 1963s and while they are now gone, only the more initially tannic and acid ones would have held up to the current date. Of course there's Nacional ....)
Store it in a cool dark place, on its side. When you're ready to drink it, stand it up for a day to let the sediment fall to the bottom. Definitely decant it into a carafe.1963 was a very great vintage, and the best bottles, stored properly, can last 30-50 years. My recommendation, since you're not 100% sure how it was been stored is to drink it sooner rather than later. It's probably drinking great right now, and you definitely would rather drink a wine too young than too old. I drank a 1970 Taylor port a couple years ago that was drinking very nicely.
Drink it soon for a nice occasion, like say, graduation.
If you're intimidated by all this "wine stuff" don't be. Nothing about wine needs to be or should be pretentious. Wine is fun to drink, plain and simple. The more of it you try, the more you learn what you like or don't like. Trust me, if this bottle of port is in good shape, you will notice a tremendous difference between it and LBV port.
I would find a nice wine shop that has a good variety, and talk to the store salesperson. "Funky hair and piercings" (your description) should not influence the salesperson positively or negatively if he/she is serious about helping someone learn about wine -- your money is as good as anyone else's. If you live in a cool college town (Cambridge, or Ann Arbor, say) the stores probably are used to students.
Enjoy. Feel free to email me directly if you want to discuss further.
First of all 1963 was one of the best vintages ever for vintage port, so it's probably not a dud. It certainly appears to have been bottled in the UK, some merchant imported a cask or pipe of port and bottled it himself in Britain, a very common practice and in and of itself neither good or bad. That being said, I can't tell you much about the specific wine but chances are it's probably very good. Store it as you would any other wine, in a cool, dark place. It should be drinking well so don't be afraid to open it, but it can also probably hold up for some time, so if you want to save it for a special occasion go ahead. Open it carefully and decant it taking care to leave most of the sediment behind in the bottle. Once decanted it should be consumed in one sitting, once open vintage port begins to deteriorate like any other wine. Most of all don't fret too much about this bottle, it's just wine so enjoy it. If you have any further questions post them here or email me through AA.
Hello -I had one of these last year. I'm guessing you might be in Cambridge, because I know one of the colleges was selling several bottles of this off particularly cheaply. (I got six bottles for £16 each, which I thought was a bit of a bargain!)
It was absolutely gorgeous. Instructions as to above re decanting etc are all v. good. But do save it for a special occasion, and make sure the people you share it with will appreciate it!
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