2001 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port

[Frederick Blais]

I don't remember having tried this one and based on a comment of a friend in Portugal, I was really eager to crack it.

Taylor's Vargellas 2001
I started sampling this Port around 2 hours after decanting. Dark purple colour, opaque, nose struck me with full of violets and dark cherries flavours, sweet soap bubble gum( if you had those in your youth), licorice and subtile spices in the back: very elegant. On the entry, round, soft and sweet, then strong tannins kicks in, really biting! Palate is ripe, full of cherries, plums and licorice, balance is good but sweetness is dominant, very long finish on violets and cherries. Softer and rounder than a regular Taylor's VP style, this is Vargellas' style at its best though and the first memories it brought back to me was that Vinha Velha 1995 that was so exquisite to smell, this one was looking so similar for the years to come. 17-17.5/20+

The day after, fruid did oxydise a bit, tannins where softer, sweet soap bubble gum flavours was gone, no alcool at all still.