How should I keep a LBV?

[Guilly]

I've bought a LBV port and I'd like to know how long it could "live" in the conditions an appartment can provide. I've also read that port wines with cork stoppers should be kept standing up instead of lying on a side, but I guess that's a rule concerning only bottles wich are going to be opened soon.
Thanks for your help.

[zin1953]

Uh, no. That is to say, I disagree -- strongly -- with what whiner has told you.

First of all, you should know that there are TWO different types of LBVs (Late Bottled Vintage Porto). If -- and it's a BIG "if" -- the LBV is labeled "Tradition" or "Traditional," or if the label states the wine is "Unfiltered," THEN the wine will continue to age and develop in the bottle for some time. Exactly how long depends on the specifics: the producer and the vintage. On the other hand, if the label of LBV says none of those things, then it is basically just a Ruby on steroids, and will not significantly improve in the bottle at all.

Secondly, 70 degrees Fahrenheit is far too warm to store any wine -- even Porto -- for any considerable length of time. A wine stored at 70 will mature more rapidly than a wine stored at 55 F. Higher than 70 -- even for a relatively short period of time, say 80 F for four weeks -- will destroy the wine. (I once had an entire container of French Burgundies ruined because the thermostat was set at 22 C [72 F], rather than at 12 [52 F]. The insurance company paid out over $100,000!)

* * * * *

Back to LBVs. To be a true Vintage Porto, the wine must be bottled two years (round numbers for the ease of discussion) after the harvest. Late Bottled Vintage Porto is bottled no less than four, but no more than six, yeard after the harvest. And, of course, all of the grapes for the wine (either VP or LBV) come from a single vintage. "Traditional" LBVs -- the ones that will age and mature like true Vintage Porto -- will develop along similar lines, but *generally* over a shorter period of time than a true Vintage Porto. That is, if the 2012 Vintage Porto from Quinta da Nada will age and improve over, say, 20-30 years, the 2012 LBV should reach a peak in, say, 8-10, possibly as long as 15 years. The oldest LBV I've ever had was a 1961 Dow's LBV we opened about 1983-1985 -- somewhere in there.

But if your bottle indeed has a cork STOPPER, rather than a "regular" cork, I suspect that it is *not* a Traditional LBV, and will not develop significantly with botle age. It will be fine anytime between now and 3-4 years, but aging will not result in any considerable improvement.

[whiner]

Ok. Just to be clear, I don't SUGGEST storing an LBV Port at 70, but we are dealing with somone who seems to believe his only option is apartment temperature. I don't think an LBV is in any danger of falling apart in 2-3 years. I don't age my LBVs but I've had ones that were stored at room temperature for a few years and were fine. I would never suggest treating a non-fortified wine like this -- I keep mine at 58-60 because to do otherwise would be price-prohibitive at this point -- but I think a fortified wine meant for early consumption can be treated somewhat differently. The oldest LBV I've had was a '94 Taylor opened 2 years ago so maybe there is benefit to aging them that I am unaware of. FWIW, the difference between letting wine get above 80 ever vs. letting it stay at 70 for a year I thik is immense. I don't worry about buying wines from stores which are kept at 70 degrees or less, even if I think the wine has been on the shelves for months. 70 is about my breaking point, though.

[TonyO]

I have to wonder about how it will take for wine to be affected by temperatures over 80 degrees. I know the temperature on dleivery trucks often exceeds 100 degrees in the summer (think of a UPS tariler sitting in a parking lot in Arizona, in August, waiting to be unloaded). How can this possibly be avoided ? In addition, I'm sure many warehouses are not ideal either, not to mention retail stores with bright lighting and temperatures between 68 and 75. I mean, it is easy for the consumer to properly store their wine once purchased, but prior to that, I'm sure many "violations" take place.

[dinwiddie]

I have never, and I don't think I've ever met anyone who did, purchased a LBV with the intention of aging it. They are meant to be drunk fairly soon after release. Of course, I don't think I've been willing to spend the money on a "Traditional" LBV since I prefer to put my "port money" into true vintage ports. Most LBV ports sold here in the US is not the "Traditional" and is intended for early drinking.

And one minor quibble, one wine that can store well at 70 degrees would be a Mederia. I would also add that the reason Port was so popular in England was that it was able to withstand the heat of being shipped in the hold of a sailing ship without being ruined like many wines were. Higher alcohol, higher sugar wines like Port are much more able to withstand temperature than "normal" wines. Would I recommend storing any wine, including a port at 70 degrees, not a chance, but a LBV will withstand it much better than a Pinot Noir.

[zin1953]

Most fortified wines, specificially any Madeira, and Porto too, to a certain extent (depending upon the type of Porto and its age), are better "suited" to withstanding "abuse" in terms of storage temperature than table wines.

I should have made that clearer in my initial post.

[whiner]

Unopened? The wine will last years at 70 degrees. Once you open it I'd drink it over the course of a week or two and keep it upright in the fridge. You can also use an air stopper.