Taylor's Port

Tasted Saturday, November 22, 2014 by Timbalimba with 475 views

Introduction

A fantastic opportunity to taste a range of the recent vintages, as well as the Tawnies, and a grand finale of single harvest Tawnies (Colheitas really) including the 1863 from pre-phylloxera wine, which merited my first perfect score on CT. It just left me breathless.

Flight 1 (10 Notes)

  • 2009 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Late Bottled Vintage 90 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Still youthful. Strawberry and raspberry fool, figs and dates underneath. Clean, attractive nose. Some pretty, floral aromatics too. Full bodied, tannic, good depth of licquorice spice, excellent acidity. Very good.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Taylor (Fladgate) Porto 10 Year Old Tawny 91 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Expensive oak on the nose, figs, nuts, truffle. Red fruits on the palate, delicate, light, good acidity, nutty creaminess. Very long finish. Seamless.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Taylor (Fladgate) Porto 20 Year Old Tawny 92 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Deeper Sherry notes on the nose, mushrooms, nuts. Fine acidity on the palate, less fruit than the 10 y.o., with savoury flavours dominating, truffle, walnut, oak. Very long finish.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 94 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Primary at first, almost aggressive, like taken straight from a maceration tank. Settles down after a while, revealing dark fruit, some green leaves but less than other ’11s I’ve had, red fruit. Monolithic on the palate, hot, a solid core fruit and nothing much else at the moment. Tannin and acidity are well integrated, in fact almost unnoticeable. Has all the ingredients to reach the top of the summit. Ridiculous to score it now, really. Come back in 20 years' time. 94-100

    Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2003 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 93 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    From magnum. A lot more barnyard, plum, cedar, lead pencil. Hints of Claret. Sweeter on the palate, alcoholic, less stuffing than the ’11. Still not entirely integrated, the alcohol is very evident. Good leafy, inky finish. Needs time. 93++

    Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2000 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 94 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    More feminine, oak, nuts. This is the first in the line-up that feels settled. Deeper exotic fruit underneath the perfume, quite a lot of oak but it doesn’t detract. Settled and balanced on the palate, fine fruit, good acidity, but there’s still an edge to it, needs more time. 94++

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1997 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 93 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Pretty nose, aromatic, perfumed red fruit. Better settled and now we’re moving into dry red wine territory with savoury tones coming to the fore. Damp earth, lead pencil, minerals. Will improve

    Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vinha Velha Vintage Quinta de Vargellas 94 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Very deep, floral, earthy too, cedar and crushed rock. Licquorice, raspberry, concentrated savoury-fruity flavours, integrated oak. Very, very good. As often is the case, I find more individuality in these single Quintas, more rebellion, more spikes. The proper Vintage might be more balanced, overall, but you find real idiosyncrasy and personality here. It would be fascinating to follow this, teamed with the Vintage, over the years. 94-100

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1965 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition 96 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Exotic nose, star anise, cinnamon, casks, great perfume, wildly spicy, like a bazaar. Sherried flavours on the palate, great acidity, great integration. Compared to the 20 y.o. this is more concentrated, more dominated by spices and condiments, molasses, maple syrup, exotic Asian spices. Great.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1863 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition 100 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Bottled from cask, on demand. Surprisingly deep colour, like Oloroso but finer, with layers of amber and gold, and a tint of blueish green at the rim that I've never seen in a wine before. Profound nose: strong, strong. Smoke, nail varnish, dried apricot, bergamot oil. From the nose alone I can sense the soaring acidity: there's such a bite to the bouquet, such smoking mineral intensity. Great attack, fierce acidity, some tannin too, orange zest, walnuts, oak, and a wave of other exotic aromas. The finish is incredible. And it gets better in the glass, by the minute. I wish I had an entire bottle of this to myself because it is building a crescendo here. I check back to the Colheita 1965 and that wine feels ridiculously young now. I cannot see anything missing or anything I'd like to take away. This is a perfect wine.

    As with all great wine experiences there's an element of surprise involved. I just couldn't believe the power and self confidence on display here: the wine just completely swept away everything else. And the increasing intensity… almost frightening, like waking up some primordial beast. I suppose this is indestructible but it was a privilege to try it now. Getting to know it, I can only say that a profound sense of reverence came upon me.

    Read 7 Comments / Post a Comment / 5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

×
×