Did anyone attend the Taylors' vertical tasting that Linden organised on November 29th? I would love to read some tasting notes from the evening. It was a fantastic vertical of wines ha managed to put together and I was very disappointed that I was not able to make it.
Alex
Linden's Taylors Tasting
Moderators: Glenn E., Roy Hersh, Andy Velebil
Here are some brief notes on the tasting. Firstly, as port lovers, you’ll probably want to know about decanting etc. The wines were double-decanted between 3 and 4 hours prior to the tasting. They were poured into the glasses between 30 minutes and immediately prior to the tasting, and the tasting lasted 1½ hours. We began with the 1977 and worked back to the 1908, then tried the 2000, 1994 and 1992.
Taylor’s 2000 Vintage Port, 97/100
Black opaque, purple edge; spicy, licorice, plum – a rich nose; rich, spicy, very licorice spicy fruit on the palate, so rich yet so supple, with great depth, minerality, freshness and length. Superb.
Taylor’s 1994 Vintage Port, 93/100
Deep, still fairly opaque with a ruby rim; coffee grounds, mocha nose with rich chocolate and cherry on prompting; very rich and ripe fruit on the palate, the spirit is noticeable, chocolate on the finish. Classic, firm, closed down.
Taylor’s 1992 Vintage Port, 99/100
Touch deeper than the 1994, ruby edge to the rim; rich plum duff nose, so very decadent; rich, so fruity on the palate, dense, exotic, tarry yet also fresh, virbrant and complete. Completely delicious right now, though a very long future predicted, this is in perfect weight and balance.
Taylor’s 1977 Vintage Port, 96/100
Clear fine ruby, pink hue; ripe, sweet, spicy fruit, mineral and a touch of spirit on the nose; rich Christmas fruit, spicy, still tannic. Later the fragrance developed beautifully, with an attractive earthy element to it. A really great port.
Taylor’s 1963 Vintage Port, N/R
A poor bottle.
Taylor’s 1960 Vintage Port, 88/100
Clear tawny with a touch of ruby; touch medicinal, faintly sweet – not a big nose; soft, light, dry tannic finish. Later this opened up more fragrantly and was quite delicious in a delicate, soft kind of way. Lacking a little flesh.
Taylor’s 1955 Vintage Port, 91/100
Pale brown, clear; sweet, an attractive floral touch, fine and fragrant; delicious, sweet, light fragrant fruit, then a hot, spirity finish. This developed a lovely fragrant walnut and honey note with air. Perhaps now a little past its prime, and certainly overshadowed by the two that followed.
Taylor’s 1948 Vintage Port, 95/100
Deepish tanwy; rich, sweet, touch exotic, medicinal note; very rich, a touch hot but plenty of fruit – red and dark berry fruits, almond paste, great long finish.
Taylor’s 1945 Vintage Port, 96/100
Clear, deep, amber rim; spicy nose, very ripe; sweet fragrant entry, spicy, a touch spirity, sweet dark cherry and chocolate on the finish. The nose continued to open up deliciously and on the palate it became more harmonious, rich, sweet and delicious. My second favourite older vintage after the 1908.
1927 Vintage Port, 92/100
Recently labelled ‘Taylor’s 1927 Vintage Port’. The original cork revealed ‘Vintage 1927’, but no shipper mentioned. I suspect that based on the character of the wine, it wasn’t Taylor afterall, but it was still lovely. Clear tawny, brown core; very sweet and fragrant with a strange (in this line up) spearmint character which grew in the glass; sweet, earthy, quite spearminty, fresh, delicious, quite sweet on the finish, long.
Taylor’s 1908 Vintage Port, 98/100
Pale clear tawny; rich nose showing great complexity – nuts – particularly walnuts, Christmas cake, spices, candied fruits – especially cherries; sweet Christmas cake and walnuts on the palate, very round, harmonious, rich yet delicate, and very long. Beguiling wine.
Indeed, this tasting confirmed for me that I think I either like my ports very old or very young, for I would be delighted to drink a Taylor’s 2000 or 1992 and gain an entirely different yet still completely enjoyable experience to the 1908. I concluded therefore that I will probably not buy port to lay down – rather I’ll take advantage on occasion, or the cheap prices paid in London for current vintages of vintage port, and pick up the occasional very old bottle at auction and from English merchants.
The voting at the end of the tasting went as follows:
“What was your wine of the night?” –
2000 – 1 vote; 1992 – 4 votes; 1948 – 3 votes; 1908 – 7 votes.
“If you could take a bottle of any of these wines to dinner, which would it be?” –
1977 – 2 votes; 1948 – 1 vote; 1945 – 1 vote; 1927 – 2 votes; 1908 – 8 votes.
Cheers,
Linden
Taylor’s 2000 Vintage Port, 97/100
Black opaque, purple edge; spicy, licorice, plum – a rich nose; rich, spicy, very licorice spicy fruit on the palate, so rich yet so supple, with great depth, minerality, freshness and length. Superb.
Taylor’s 1994 Vintage Port, 93/100
Deep, still fairly opaque with a ruby rim; coffee grounds, mocha nose with rich chocolate and cherry on prompting; very rich and ripe fruit on the palate, the spirit is noticeable, chocolate on the finish. Classic, firm, closed down.
Taylor’s 1992 Vintage Port, 99/100
Touch deeper than the 1994, ruby edge to the rim; rich plum duff nose, so very decadent; rich, so fruity on the palate, dense, exotic, tarry yet also fresh, virbrant and complete. Completely delicious right now, though a very long future predicted, this is in perfect weight and balance.
Taylor’s 1977 Vintage Port, 96/100
Clear fine ruby, pink hue; ripe, sweet, spicy fruit, mineral and a touch of spirit on the nose; rich Christmas fruit, spicy, still tannic. Later the fragrance developed beautifully, with an attractive earthy element to it. A really great port.
Taylor’s 1963 Vintage Port, N/R
A poor bottle.
Taylor’s 1960 Vintage Port, 88/100
Clear tawny with a touch of ruby; touch medicinal, faintly sweet – not a big nose; soft, light, dry tannic finish. Later this opened up more fragrantly and was quite delicious in a delicate, soft kind of way. Lacking a little flesh.
Taylor’s 1955 Vintage Port, 91/100
Pale brown, clear; sweet, an attractive floral touch, fine and fragrant; delicious, sweet, light fragrant fruit, then a hot, spirity finish. This developed a lovely fragrant walnut and honey note with air. Perhaps now a little past its prime, and certainly overshadowed by the two that followed.
Taylor’s 1948 Vintage Port, 95/100
Deepish tanwy; rich, sweet, touch exotic, medicinal note; very rich, a touch hot but plenty of fruit – red and dark berry fruits, almond paste, great long finish.
Taylor’s 1945 Vintage Port, 96/100
Clear, deep, amber rim; spicy nose, very ripe; sweet fragrant entry, spicy, a touch spirity, sweet dark cherry and chocolate on the finish. The nose continued to open up deliciously and on the palate it became more harmonious, rich, sweet and delicious. My second favourite older vintage after the 1908.
1927 Vintage Port, 92/100
Recently labelled ‘Taylor’s 1927 Vintage Port’. The original cork revealed ‘Vintage 1927’, but no shipper mentioned. I suspect that based on the character of the wine, it wasn’t Taylor afterall, but it was still lovely. Clear tawny, brown core; very sweet and fragrant with a strange (in this line up) spearmint character which grew in the glass; sweet, earthy, quite spearminty, fresh, delicious, quite sweet on the finish, long.
Taylor’s 1908 Vintage Port, 98/100
Pale clear tawny; rich nose showing great complexity – nuts – particularly walnuts, Christmas cake, spices, candied fruits – especially cherries; sweet Christmas cake and walnuts on the palate, very round, harmonious, rich yet delicate, and very long. Beguiling wine.
Indeed, this tasting confirmed for me that I think I either like my ports very old or very young, for I would be delighted to drink a Taylor’s 2000 or 1992 and gain an entirely different yet still completely enjoyable experience to the 1908. I concluded therefore that I will probably not buy port to lay down – rather I’ll take advantage on occasion, or the cheap prices paid in London for current vintages of vintage port, and pick up the occasional very old bottle at auction and from English merchants.
The voting at the end of the tasting went as follows:
“What was your wine of the night?” –
2000 – 1 vote; 1992 – 4 votes; 1948 – 3 votes; 1908 – 7 votes.
“If you could take a bottle of any of these wines to dinner, which would it be?” –
1977 – 2 votes; 1948 – 1 vote; 1945 – 1 vote; 1927 – 2 votes; 1908 – 8 votes.
Cheers,
Linden
Linden Wilkie http://www.finewineexperience.com
Linden,
A fabulous event and your TNs posted here are much appreciated for the many that love to read about Port here!
That ultra-rare great bottle of '45 Taylor ... is one of the Port ephiphanies I have enjoyed most in my life.
A fabulous event and your TNs posted here are much appreciated for the many that love to read about Port here!
That ultra-rare great bottle of '45 Taylor ... is one of the Port ephiphanies I have enjoyed most in my life.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com