Grandfather Port

[rod1949]

We moved into our new house (owner builder) over the weekend. So to mark this event I opened a bottle of Grandfather Port that I'd had for 17 years... so smmmooothe so luscious.

Has anyone ever tried Great Grandfather Port?

[silentC]

I got a bottle of that for my first ever father's day - still unopened. It's only 7 years old though. Might crack it on her 21st.

Congrats on moving into the new house too!

[rod1949]

When I got it (I think it was a gift) I said to myself I'll open it when I do become one, but both my daughters decided they weren't going to have kids. So the house seemed the ideal occasion to crack the bottle.

[Barry Hicks]

Would you believe I used to buy Grandfather at $12 a bottle back in the late 70's?
It shows how smart I am that I didn't buy a pallet of the stuff - after robbing a bank to pay for it.

Barry Hicks

[K_S]

Had my share of a bottle many years ago - was looking forward to it but I didn't think it lived up to it's price.
But it was still nice, especially as it was a gift.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Would you believe I used to buy Grandfather at $12 a bottle back in the late 70's?
It shows how smart I am that I didn't buy a pallet of the stuff - after robbing a bank to pay for it.

Barry Hicks

Yep 1976/77 Grange $13 a bottle.
St Henri $10.
Wynns Coonawarra Cab Sav $7 or $8

Those were the days.

I used to work as a cocktail barman at Milano's in Brissy. The owner Gino Merlo had this big wine cellar and he had one bottle on the menu that was $158 which was a huge amount for a bottle of wine in those days.
One lunch two blokes came in and ordered a bottle - the word went around and the staff discreetly watched on to judge their reaction. Then to every one's dismay they got up at the end of their meal and left half a bottle.
All the waiters were like "whats wrong is the wine no good?"
But Gino explained that these were "true gentlemen" and have left the wine for us. So we all got a half a nip of this wonderful nectar!

[rsser]

btw, a tawny port doesn't improve in the bottle though our expectations might ;-}

[Buzza]

I went into a pub in Adelaide and asked the barman if he could recomend
a good port for me.


He said Port Jackson . . P*** O** !!! :) :(

[Barry_White]

I used to drink it all the time when I worked for Lysaght in management. Don't know how much it cost because I didn't pay for it, always went on the expense account.

[Bleedin Thumb]

btw, a tawny port doesn't improve in the bottle though our expectations might ;-}


Quite right. Its only the vintage ports that get better..although a good tawny port may be blended with ports that are 100 years old to start with.

The disadvantage with a good vintage port is that you may have laid it down for twenty odd years and when you do open it you have to drink it in one sitting as it won't keep......well OK thats not too much of a disadvantage come to think of it!:wink:

[rsser]

True. Vintage Port is like wine. But a youngish one (say 10 years) can be decanted into a half bottle with the remainder allowed to breathe for an hour or two and the half drunk a day or two later. Yum ;-}

The great vintage Seppelt Para Ports were unusual in that they were tawnys from a single year.

Then there's my favourite, Portuguese Late Bottled Vintage: single year but with more oak aging than a normal vintage and having the best qualities of both types.

[Barry Hicks]

Don't worry about letting it breathe Ern - give it mouth-to-mouth.

Barry Hicks

[rsser]

LOL.

But it tastes better after a bit of flirting ;-}

[Bleedin Thumb]

I've got some nice Stanton & Killeens gathering dust, mmmm Rutherglen ports....very hard to beat.

[Poppa]

I've drunk quite a bit of Grandfather because my Dad loves it and my brothers and I have bought him the odd bottle over the years. I've also knocked off a couple myself, with good company.

And, I've tasted Great Grandfather. My brothers and I bought my Dad a bottle for a birthday (60th? I think) and of course we all had a taste. I think it may have been wasted on me - excellent, but better than Grandfather? I wouldn't really know - Grandfather is pretty damn good!

[clubbyr8]

Used to drink it all the time as contractors I employed just to give me a bottle for Christmas :D:D. I did buy a bottle once and it cost over $90. Lovely tasting stuff especially by the schooner glass :D:D

Bob

[Bleedin Thumb]

Whilst Grandfather is an OK vintage port it's style is a bit dated. Sweet Shiraz based ports are a bit old fashioned. Try some good Portuguese style vintage ports that are a lot drier and more complex character.

The old sticky style is still nice but I recon the drier ports are more enjoyable and you can quaff more of it.:wink: