Gift of the gods? Taylor 40 y/0 Tawny

[*John Trombley]

A visit to my cousin in Evansville, Indiana during a family reunion saw me with a bottle of German wine to give a cousin. (If you need to know, it was the Bernkasteler Doctor Auslese from Wegeler Erben, 2002 vintage).

I was a bit overwhelmed when he handed me a bag containing a bottle of forty year old Taylor Fladgate tawny. Although the Wegeler isn't chopped liver, it also isn't in the same price range as the Taylor.

It's been a good while since I've tasted any bottling of this wine, which is usually outside my price range. (Usually the 20 year version is as high as I go). I respect Taylor's older tawnies (as a matter of fact, I had a sip at a restaurant while in Evansville of the 20 year old--still very impressive). How is this 40 year old one drinking of late?

Incidental question of interest. Have Taylors given us any way to track their different bottlings of each tawny as of yet?

[Roy Hersh]

Hi John and welcome back to the Forum, it is nice to see you here again. The Taylor 40 year old Tawny might be the best of their Tawny lineup and it is an outstanding Port. Personally, I do not spend that kind of money either on Tawnies unless they're Colheitas. But I have had the Taylor 40 a dozen times or so over the years and owned two bottles that I received as gifts when my daughter was born.

You are very fortunate and I can't see why you wouldn't love the contents. As far as having a way to track the bottlings ... well all Tawny, "with an indication of age" including the bottle you have has a bottling date. It frequently appears on the back label but in rare circumstances it may appear on the front label instead. That date represents when the juice was actually put in the bottle. You'll want to drink the bottle as close to the year it was bottled as possible, as these types of Port absolutely DO lose their freshness when kept on the shelf or in the cellar too long. Frequently retailers will "obtain" bottles that have been around for a long time and will put them on sale for crazy low prices. That is why you must be informed to look at the "born on dating" system, which prevents you from buying a cheap old clunker.

Enjoy your bottle!

[*John Trombley]

Dear Roy,

I'm a frequent lurker here and even a contributor from time to time, because my main interest lies elsewhere. But I am by no means immune to the charms of your favorite tipple, which comes close to being my own favorite, losing out by only a hair.

[Perhaps if all the labels were in polysyllabic Portuguese in an indecipherable font, appearing in multiple indistinguishable bottlings of vastly different style I'd like 'em better (grin!) Perhaps you can talk to the IVDP and get them to allow the release of ports made in a completely through-fermented style, still fortified but completely dry, and by law require the producer to leave this little gem of information off of the label. And you can see if producers in certain areas can write their own regulations, giving them the force of law, using nomenclature entirely different from anyone else, multiplying similar confusing terms in Portuguese that would have to be understood if one had any chance of getting a satisfactory bottle. I could go on, but you get my little joke, I 'm sure.]

The label of the bottle in hand reads "Bottled in 1999". I realize that this may be somewhat unfortunate. I know that Cousin Ron has a great love for a few wines and lacks the broad knowledge that he will eventually have. However, I know that this bottle has been kept in a professional wine storage system since he got it, which may be in its favor. I'll check on the details when next I talk to him.

By the way, my friend Mike Schelle and I will be tasting this wine over the weekend, since it's had about 2 weeks to settle down by then. I'll be glad to post a note. I got some Stilton and some good nuts and so forth just in case something will be needed to disguise this one if it's badly off. But perhaps there is no reason to be nervous. I'd hate to disappoint cousin Ron if the bottle is not up to snuff, but I think it better to be gently honest rather than evasive.