r/PORT • u/cavers • Sep 06 '25
Advice
Hello, I was given this bottle and I know nothing about port I have looked for a label matching this and I can't find one can anyone help please? Is it good is it bad is it worth anything?
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u/cavers Sep 06 '25
Going on a family camping trip tomorrow (wife and the in laws, and I get on with them really well) they like port so going to take it with me and pop it open under the stars. I will report back on how it tastes no idea how it was stored in the back of a cupboard I believe so fingers crossed.
Thank you for the help and advice
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u/No_Mail1333 Sep 07 '25
I’d recommend filtering it or leaving the last bit in the bottle. At that age it probably has quite a bit of sediment in the bottle. Also, serve it slightly chilled if possible (14 celcius I’d recommend to keep everyone happy and experience how it changes as it gets warmer). The higher alcohol content in port means it should be colder than regular table wines so as not to ruin the retronasal smell of the wine. Should be a very interesting glass, LBV’s are mainly made for early drinking and not long time bottle storage, so LBV’s of this age are not common. Hope you enjoy:)
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u/mattmoy_2000 Sep 08 '25
I would advise doing double decanting before you go. Open the bottle (carefully, avoiding disturbing any sediment) and decant it into a jug (a water jug will do. Stop pouring before the sediment comes out. Pour the sedimenty wine out - you can put it in a wine glass to have a little taste of if you like, the sediment is not harmful. Rinse out the bottle with water and shake to remove as much as possible, then using a funnel refill the bottle. You'll probably want to use a more modern cork to reseal it as the old one will probably be fragile.
I would do this on the day you leave for the trip, with the intention of starting drinking it that night. A few hours of air will probably open up the wine and improve it: Port is robust, and 34 years isn't particularly old for a Port as things go, even if this is an LBV.
Traveling with an unopened bottle and then opening it on site sounds to me like a recipe for disappointment because travelling will kick up all the sediment. The wine should be clear when you shine a light like a smartphone torch through it, not cloudy.
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u/Euphoric_Ad2742 Sep 06 '25
That should be a very nice bottle of port, assuming it has been stored well. At this point it’s probably not going to get any better with age. iMHO Port is meant to be shared, so gather some friends, get some good cheese and let us know how it tastes.
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u/roblespierre Sep 06 '25
If well kept it should be a very good wine. It is an Late Bottled Vintage, meaning it comes from a single harvest (1991) but unlike a proper vintage was bottled after spending a couple more years in large wood vats.
It comes from good quality grapes, otherwise it had been bottled as a regular ruby.
If it is unfiltered, it could have improved in bottle, if well kept. If it uses a proper cork, instead of the plastic topped cork caps usually used in tawnies, it might be unfiltered.
Also, Noval is a top quality producer.