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A local 1963 port,
with an unusual name
8 January 2007
From Pauline Bleakley:
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Tim James replies:This sounds interesting (and probably very
drinkable). Someone at KWV will certainly be able to give us the answer,
and we shall try that route, as things return to normal after the
holiday season break. But some things are clear: firstly, this is a
port-style wine (ports are vins de liqueur), made by the KWV (Cavendish
was their British distributor, recently wound up as we reported last
year). Monis, eg, also made port at this time, but KWV was the biggest
producer, and much of what they produced along these lines was good
stuff, and long lasting. In recent years I have drunk a few
bottles of KWV's 'Crusted Port' from this 1963 vintage with great
pleasure.
The style here though is curious: the reference to 'late bottled' suggests a 'late-bottled vintage', as does the presence of a vintage date. But 25 years in wood is a very long time for this style and more appropriate for a tawny port – the producers must have thought it useful stuff to have offered it after such long maturation. But why was this bottle not labelled KWV? The quoted label information is a bit ambiguous when it speaks of the wine being 'bottled in this country' - does this refer to the UK? That might explain why it was bottled under the shipper's name. And why called 'Vin de Liqueur' when - as far as I know - at that date (1988 it was presumably bottled) there was no restriction on terminology? Incidentally, as for the 'WO Boberg bit': Boberg is an appellation for fortified wines (only) from Paarl and Tulbagh. Hopefully, someone will be able to give us a proper answer. But one important thing: if the bottle has been reasonably stored, its contents, I would guess, should be rather nice. So don't dispose of it, drink it. And please let us know what it was like....
From Alwyn Liebenberg (winemaker at Uitvlucht, formerly of
Boplaas, and someone who knows plenty about local fortified wines): |
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From Peter Bishop: So great of you to offer comment on rare old wine to folk; in this case 1963 Cavendish Port. I have a 1949. The KWV released 1948 and 1949 in the late 1970's and 1963 and 1966 a bit later. Quite obviously from their one-time stock. Good responding.
From Andrew Fyall: . |