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Reviews
 Taylor’s: great vintages of the 20th century
«Magnum» ¹1-2 (23) 2008 Over 16 years ago Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman held a rare vertical tasting of its flagship port — vintage Taylor’s. The event was featured in a book dedicated to the 300th anniversary of this renowned port house. Time passed, and The Fladgate Partnership family group that owns Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman decided to update the publication and to organize a new epochal tasting which took place in November 2007.
Although the same number of Taylor’s vintages (23 in total) was chosen for the recent event, the two tastings were quite different. The first one was held in London. Mainly British experts as key bearers of the port culture were invited, along with several other English speaking guests. The recent tasting took place in Oporto. A diverse international group of journalists and critics was chosen. They came from countries which are today considered as major or perspective markets for premium ports — Portugal, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Russia. Vintages spanning for less than a century, from 1896 to 1985 were selected for the London tasting. In Oporto the collection stretched to over hundred years. It presented classic vintages of the 20th and early 21st centuries, from 1900 to 2003. Besides, the tasters were offered a full vertical collection of a rare Quinta de Vargellas — Vinha Velha Vintage Port which comes from the oldest vintages.
Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman is arguably the same symbol for vintage ports as Krug — for champagne. Founded in 1692, the company is still in family hands. It keeps the policy of producing premium products — reserve, aged tawny, LBV, yet its greatest reputation is built through making vintage port. Michael Broadbent from Christie’s captured its essence by calling it ‘the Latour of port’. With dark, intense colour, fine bouquet of violets, powerful tannic structure, amazing concentration of fruit and inimitable stamina, vintage Taylor’s has become the ultimate benchmark in the category. Its lifespan known to last for many decades is legendary. Unlike other vintage ports whose style can be affected by transient influence of winemakers, Taylor’s — at least judging by the selection of the past century — has always remained true to its character, once again confirming the greatness of its vineyards and the consistent winemaking philosophy of the company.
Fifty years ago Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman pioneered production of single quinta vintage port that was first made in Quinta de Vargellas, one of the most renowned estates in the Douro Valley. In 1995 the company decided to make a very special vintage port — Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha. It was released only 4 times in the past 12 years. Grapes are selected from the oldest vines, some more than 100 years old. The vineyards are located in five distinct plots, including the estate’s original 19th century terraces and first experimental varietal plantings of 1927. An average yield is 300 grammes per vine. Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is produced only from the exceptional quality grapes, and total volume of wine never exceeds 4 pipes. The quintessence of the great Vargellas terroir, the wines have unique depth, richness of fruit and fundamental tannic base.
Taylor’s and Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha tasting took place in Factory House, a historic gentlemen’s club and bastion of the best port traditions. Comments on vintages were supplied by Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman.
Taylor’s
1900
Abundant vintage in quality and quantity. Delicate and harmonious wines. Almost all the companies declared it. A late harvest starting on 1st October. A few days of rain before the harvest followed by fine weather throughout.
Remarkable strong red colour, taking account the age of the wine. Warm nose with raisiny character, too much alcohol vapour. The palate is very spicy, even burns. Lots of vigour, supported by good acidity. Raisins, caramel. Feels untamed, edgy. Remarkable.
1908
Cold winter, very hot spring and summer, especially during the harvest which started on 28th September. So much so that some of the producers had problems in controlling the must fermentation.
Light brown amber colour with red reflets, well polished. Elegant, smooth, refined nose with earthy and tea notes. The palate is weighty, very good balance and freshness. Dried fruit and caramel at core, with framing spice. Full, persistent, great impact in the finish. The wine with great personality.
1912
A classic vintage, full bodied, with harmonious concentration of fruit and tannins. A rather wet harvest which started on 23rd September, but production on the whole was good and rather more than expected.
Brown-red, light hue. Lightly perfumed nose, nuanced, intriguing, ethereal. Carcade tea, figs. Palate is of great elegance, refined complexity, freshness. Dried figs, crème brulee, chocolate and licorice. Good mineral character. Full finish, plenty of volume. A diva.
1924
An exceptionally cold winter, but the weather stayed fair for the harvest which started on 27th September. Small production. Excellent vintage, with good body and aroma. Almost all the companies declared.
Intense red-brown colour, very well preserved. Fresh, seamless nose — dried figs, earth, red candied fruit. The palate is fresh, structured, very good tannic frame. Dried fruit dominate, with notes of licorice. Finishes with a great impact. Great performance.
1927
The harvest began late on October 2nd in very hot weather. A classic, one of the finest vintages of the century, with a good concentration of balance and aromas. Exported in 1929, coinciding with the Great Depression. The agents in London had difficulty in selling it. Part of the stock was used for making blends of standard quality ports.
Intense red-brown. Very good depth of aromas, with iodine character, slightly alcoholic. A gentle giant. Powerful, rich, concentrated palate, plenty of fruit, also nost of tea, licorice, earth. A great character from start to finish.
1935
A classic vintage, but some companies did not declare having declared the 1934. A very dry winter, exceptionally cold spring with frost and perfect harvest conditions in warm weather which began on the 7th October.
Even more intensity in colour, but it fades at the rim. Wide nose, slightly lacking precision. Plenty of fruit (plum cake) with nuances of tar and leather. Very good depth. The palate is fresh, with masculine elegance, remarkable concentration, very good balance. Fruit, chocolate, licorice framed by spice and substantial tannins. Great volume and impact in the finish.
1945
Classic vintage, with good concentration of fruit and tannin. First post war vintage. Bottled in Portugal due to English restrictions. Dry year, with a very warm summer, with only some rain at the end of August. Harvest began on 15th September.
Dark, intense red-brown. Nose of immense depth and concentration, with iodine character. Palate is also of outstanding concentration, power and depth. A monumental wine, with great foundation and structure.
1948
Another very warm year. The harvest was very hot (45 degrees Celsius) and began on 20th September. 30,000 pipes were made but the shippers bought no more than half at vintage time leaving many farmers with their wines unsold.
Same colour as previous. Aromas are being released rather reluctantly, from a great depth. Black candied fruit, iodine nuances. Impresses with great balance, fine elegance and poise. A strong frame of minerals and tannins. Plenty of fruit. A slightly more ‘feminine’, rather than ‘masculine’ expression of a great port.
1955
Torrential rain in February was followed by a heat wave at the end of April and early May, which was again followed by rain. The vines flowered well and had the benefit of further rain in June. July and August were hot and at the time of the harvest, 26th September, the bunches were in excellent condition.
More red hue. The first bottle is slightly tainted by TCA, though fruit still show good presence. In the second bottle the wine has light perfumed aromas of fruit and chocolate. Palate is of medium concentration, dried figs, raisins and light spice. Full finish with licorice notes.
1960
Good rainfall throughout the year with rain falling in every month. Although the month of May was wet, no damage was done to the fruit as the vines were very backward. June was warm and July was hot. The harvest started warm and fine, on the 19th September but then became dull, rainy and cool.
Most evolved colour in comparison to wines of close vintages. Light floral nose with an appealing woody character. Medium concentration of flavours, a lighter style. Re candied fruit, mixed with a distinctive woody tone — the same as found in aromas. A particular flavour profile. Quicker evolution than expected.
1963
A cold winter was followed by a wet spring. Christmas day temperature of -4 degrees was one of the lowest for many years. Apart from two periods of hot weather in July and August, the summer was cool. The harvest started on 7th October with perfect weather, hot days and cool nights.
Medium ruby colour with a wide faded rim. Light nose with a floral character, slightly disturbed by a whiff of alcohol. Powerful, spicy palate with each of the elements vying for supremacy. Black jammy fruit, licorice, bright spice. Still very youthful with Taylor’s signature mineral frame.
1966
The winter of 1965-1966 was very wet, and generally rather warm. The summer was very hot and dry, the month of May being one of the hottest on record. The vines were very backward till early September when a few days of extremely hot weather brought the fruit on considerably.
Intense ruby colour. Elegant, fresh nose, finely balanced, redolent of violets. The palate is remarkably balanced as well. Intense fruit, mostly figs, are underlined by an excellent foundation of minerals and tannins. Excellent freshness. Same flavours are carried in the finish. Many wonderful years of life ahead.
1970
A vintage of exceptional quality, with well integrated tannins and fruit, assuring a long life. Winter rainfall was slightly above average, followed by a very dry spring and further rain in June. From July through to October almost no rain fell and the harvest which started on 21st September was made under ideal conditions.
Intense ruby colour. Fresh nose, no trace of sweetness. Palate with a strong grip, rather ‘vertically’ structured, excellent balance. A very strong tannic frame slightly dominates by ensures further evolution. The wine of an excellent, elegant character.
1975
A wet winter was followed by a long dry summer with almost no rain with the exception of a heavy thunderstorm in May. The harvest started on 6th October. Due to September rain yields were generally higher than had been expected.
A more polished colour than previous. Nose slightly unknit, but retains typical Taylor’s aromas. Palate is lighter, more dominated by spice, with a usual fruit and licorice base which is this time adorned by tobacco. These flavours are also continued in the finish. A lighter, elegant version.
1977
The winter of 1976-1977 was one of the wettest on record, with over 60 centimetres of rain falling between October and March, and after three years of drought this rain was very welcome. The harvest started on 28th September in extremely hot conditions, yields in the valleys were generally on the high side as the skins were thin.
Ruby colour, with a wide light rim. Good intensity and depth of aromas. The palate is finely balanced, with the floral character retained on the palate. Wine in the middle of its life. Elegant, staying power in the finish.
1980
One of the driest winters on record. A poor flowering under wet and cold conditions, but the summer was hot and dry. When the harvest started on 29th September weather remained generally dry and picking conditions stayed excellent for the duration of the harvest. Quite short fermentations but excellent colour and body.
Deep ruby colour. Wide, intense nose, with sensations of alcohol breaking the balance. Powerful body, spicy, edgy, still unknit, big frame. Needs a great deal more time to round off its character.
1983
The winter of 1982-1983 was marked by extreme cold weather in February, when snow fell in Pinhao for the first time in 20 years. Poor flowering in many vineyards and an unusually cold year, including August. However, September was hot. The harvest was late starting on 3rd October but perfect conditions prevailed. Colour extraction was extremely satisfactory and winemakers’ notes at the time record that the musts were exceptionally aromatic.
Deep ruby colour. Well defined, focused nose. Fresh, well balanced palate, good concentration. Fresh fruit are still detected on the palate. Rather linear finish.
1985
The 1985 vintage was preceded by an exceptionally cold, wet winter. Bud burst took place early in April and flowering around the end of May. The summer was hot throughout and the harvest started on 26th September. By the close of harvest it was apparent that the year had produced wines of exceptional quality.
Dark ruby colour. Very good intensity, concentration and depth of aromas. Elegant, seamless palate retaining floral and fruity notes and supported by a well defined tannic structure. Retains excellent freshness. Long, staying finish. Port with a great appeal.
1992
Winter of 1991-1992 was unseasonably dry. This continued into the spring with light rain only in April and May. A long hot summer was broken by a few heavy showers at the end of August and September. Taylor’s started picking a week later than elsewhere in the region and was rewarded with a perfectly ripe crop.
Very intense colour with a thin ruby rim. Medium intensity of aromas, with very good definition, still primary fruit and flowers. Elegant palate, continues floral and black fruit notes, good concentration. In general, wine of medium proportions. Masses of tannin. Medium length.
1994
The winter of 1993-1994 was extremely wet throughout the region. As a result, most vineyards experienced a very low yield, with production down as much as 75% in relation to the average in some areas of the Douro. In spite of the poor start, the growing season was satisfactory, with dry warm weather broken only by a few short periods of rain. The harvest started 30th September.
Deep, intense colour. Fresh, well defined plummy, spicy nose, with peppery spice. Fresh, well balanced palate, primary fruit and appealing spice, great tannic structure. Powerful wine, but with elegance. Very good volume in finish. Tannins grip in the end.
1997
The winter (after the snowfalls of the 7th January) and the spring of the year were warm and dry. The weather during the harvest which started 28th September was very hot, as a result the fermentation temperatures were high and an extra effort was required to prolong the fermentations. The high quality was evident in the wines from the start, with the intensity of the must, good integration of the spirit and powerful, attractive tannins.
Deep dark ruby colour. Sweet, but fresh aromas of flowers, intensely perfumed. A very appealing palate with a deceptive feeling of simplicity. Superb character of flowers and freshly crushed black fruit. Strong tannic background. Port with an immense, immediate appeal.
2000
A wet 1999 harvest was followed by a cold and dry winter with almost no rain. April and May were very wet, June and July very dry and the first half of August very hot. Harvest started on 20th September. The resulting wines were big and full bodied with intense colour and very attractive perfumed aromas.
Deep intense ruby colour. The nose combines great freshness and amazing concentration of flowers, fruit and spice, notably cloves. Immensely attractive flavours, and fantastically integrated different nuances. The palate is huge, concentrated, supported by a full tannic frame. Powerful, masculine port.
2003
The winter preceding the 2003 harvest was very wet. Flowering took place in bright warm weather at the end of May in some of the best conditions seen for several years. The first two weeks of August provided the intense summer heat which often precedes a great port vintage. The picking season in September was warm, dry and the yields were even across all grape varieties, ensuring balance and complexity in the wines.
Even more concentration and sweetness, than in previous, and perhaps slightly lacking freshness. A wine of big proportions, power, concentration of primary fruit and excellent balance of all elements. Massive tannic structure.
Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
1995
An unseasonably hot spring resulted in early budding and by mid-April the vines were showing good growth. Conditions for lowering in May were near perfect. A cool early summer was followed by very high temperatures in August. The two outstanding features of the vintage were the exceptionally high sugar readings and the super abundant crop.
Intense ruby colour with fine sediment. Refined nose with a very good depth, finely nuanced red fruit. The palate combines elegance with immense concentration. All elements are finely balanced and interwoven. Black fruit, chocolate, licorice and soft spice. Very staying in finish, but one wishes to see more volume and lift.
1997
The winter (after the snowfalls of the 7th January) and the spring of the year were warm and dry. The weather during the harvest which started 28th September was very hot, as a result the fermentation temperatures were high and an extra effort was required to prolong the fermentations. The high quality was evident in the wines from the start, with the intensity of the must, good integration of the spirit and powerful, attractive tannins.
More depth and concentration, pure dark violets. Palate is seamless, with hugely intense and appealing black fruit which even dominate over powerfully defined and still youthful tannic structure. Huge impact in finish.
2000
A wet 1999 harvest was followed by a cold and dry winter with almost no rain. April and May were very wet, June and July very dry and the first half of August very hot. Harvest started on 20th September. The resulting wines were big and full bodied with intense colour and very attractive perfumed aromas.
Sweet, concentrated nose, yet retaining elegance and freshness. The palate strikes a perfect balance of freshness, fruitiness (black fruit) and finely grained tannic structure. Full, staying, lifted. An outstanding wine that should live well into another century.
2004
The 2003-2004 winter was very dry, having only rained 1/3 of the quantity registered the previous winter. The lack of water during the early part of the growing season led to very little pressure from disease. Our concern in July was mainly one of doubting the vines capacity to ripen the grapes due to the drastic shortage of water. The vintage stood out for the perfect weather conditions for the whole period. The young ports show good structure with very fresh berry fruit aromas, resulting from the cooler than normal ripening period.
Elegant, fresh and very floral, also fresh basket of berries. Palate is fresh. Of refined elegance, rather ‘feminine’, masses of tannin. Persistent, long, great impact on finish.
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