1977 Taylor VP - different styles of VP? Or age?

[Peter Handel]

As the 1977 Taylor VP was my first foray into aged VP, I was wondering if most older VPs tend to change from having more ruby characteristics when young to more tawny characteristics with age?

[Frederick Blais]

Definitively... in a way. As VP ages into bottle, the structure will change from a slow reductive environment while the Tawny gets it from an oxydative environment. The tannins will melt slower in a VP and it will remain more fruity, velvety also. For the flavours, the candied fruit, tobaco, nutty, will emerge from a VP also much later than a Tawny. A VP will normally remain fruity for at least 25 years and more for the best example. In my opinion a VP like Taylor 77 will also be more spicy than a Tawny.