1970 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:38 pm
From the 2012 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament tasting in NYC.
Color: medium dark red tending toward garnet but with some ruby blush to it.
Nose: Violets, sweet cherry... possibly some darker fruits as well but they're faint. The combination of violets and sweet cherry is frighteningly close to cough syrup, but doesn't quite go there.
Palate: Beautiful in the mouth, medium full and with a rich sweet entry. Fruits are round and full, but not bold. Clearly a mature Port - this bottle feels like it is at its peak, but that it could hold here for many years. Tannins exist but aren't prominent. Acidity is good and helps balance the sweetness. Easily the best Port of the night if not for the T94 which wins for me because I expect that, given another 24 years, it will be better than this. Right now they're very very close. Interestingly, I did not note the Christmas spices that I normally find to be so prominent in Taylor Ports, though others did at which point I could then find them if I looked hard enough.
Score: 95 points, which is possibly low. This might be the best example of a T70 that I've had, though scores may not bear that out.
Color: medium dark red tending toward garnet but with some ruby blush to it.
Nose: Violets, sweet cherry... possibly some darker fruits as well but they're faint. The combination of violets and sweet cherry is frighteningly close to cough syrup, but doesn't quite go there.
Palate: Beautiful in the mouth, medium full and with a rich sweet entry. Fruits are round and full, but not bold. Clearly a mature Port - this bottle feels like it is at its peak, but that it could hold here for many years. Tannins exist but aren't prominent. Acidity is good and helps balance the sweetness. Easily the best Port of the night if not for the T94 which wins for me because I expect that, given another 24 years, it will be better than this. Right now they're very very close. Interestingly, I did not note the Christmas spices that I normally find to be so prominent in Taylor Ports, though others did at which point I could then find them if I looked hard enough.
Score: 95 points, which is possibly low. This might be the best example of a T70 that I've had, though scores may not bear that out.