To store or not to store

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To store or not to store?
28/07/01. Changed 07/09/02;01/11/03;06/12/03;03/01/07;15/03/08.

Only unfiltered bottled Port types are meant to be stored. These are the Vintage and Crusted, but also unfiltered bottled (Ruby-)Reserve/Vintage Character (VC) and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) (see also: Files/Types 1d).
All other types are first stabilized and filtered. As a result they do not become better in the bottle. They are at their top and at best remain there, but the risk exists that they become worse. This is not different even when they are sealed by a driven cork (see below).
That is why a storage advice of sometimes 10 or 20 years for old Tawnies or Colheitas is so dangerous. You have to know exactly what has happened to a certain lot before purchase and you must have ideal storage circumstances, but even than it can be a gamble. At least you should possess a large quantity of one lot and taste regularly (call us if you need any help). But it remains risky. The IVDP - Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (formerly IVP) – advises on its website to consume these wines ”within the first years after bottling”. In spite of this João Paulo Martins and James Suckling have written about good experiences with long times stored Colheitas and Aged Tawnies (see also Files/Types 6a).

A distinct aid to the answer to the question To store or not to store? is the cork. Storage Ports have a long driven cork, which can only be removed by use of a corkscrew. Such a cork makes them suitable to be stored lying down. Ports that are meant to be drunk promptly have a stopper cork. This is a short cork with a plastic hat, which can be removed by hand. Bottles with a stopper cork are meant to be stored standing up.

The question of how long storage Port can or must be laid up cannot be answered easily. It is good to know that the development in the bottle will be less strong according to the wine having stayed longer in casks (Vintage ca. 2-3 years; Crusted ca. 3 y. and LBV ca. 4-6 y.).
In addition storage times are mainly dependent on the vintage year and the quality of the producer. Not every Vintage by far is suitable for storage of 20 years or more. But Vintage opened too early may still be ”closed” and have even less smell and taste than a simple Ruby (then consider double decanting, see Files/To store ... 3). It is absolutely necessary that you make a thorough inquiry into the opinions of different observers and not only trust the advice of your wine trader.
Finally the storage history of a bottle is a very important factor. There are wines those have been stored very cool and have never been transported in 40 years those seemed not to be over five years old. And others those wandered over the world and were over their top much too early.

As soon as bottles have been opened, Port is meant to be kept for a limited time only. Young Tawny and filtered bottled Ruby, (Ruby-)Reserve and LBV will stay good for 3 or 4 weeks. They can be closed with their original stopper cork. After the first glasses have been drunk young Port often becomes softer if it is then stored for some days.
For Tawny with indication of age and Colheita the risk of deterioration is less, because these wines also come in contact with oxygen during cask maturing. Sometimes you read about a storage life of months.
Unfiltered bottled Port, and especially an older Vintage, may obviously deteriorate already within one day.

Our opinion is that the best wines should be drunk on the day of opening. Why would you take any risk with such an expensive product? Besides, this should not pose too much of a problem, right? You are of course familiar with the phenomena that: the better the Port, the smaller the bottle…
However professionals from producers, traders and restaurants often do not make a problem of this. But mostly they have a stock and simply take an other bottle if necessary. And that is not always possible for everyone at home. So please be careful.