For The Love Of Port

This Berry Brothers & Rudd bottling of 1966 Taylor had a mild smokey nose, with a bit of clove, raisin, and later a dull maple scent. No harsh alcohol smell whatsoever . The color was mostly solid ruby with hints of purple and blue. On the palate: blackcurrant, cherries, and a hint of cantaloupe, with a underlying taste of honey. Perfectly balanced with at least a 20 second finish. A real winner with a good number of years left for this Port to be in it's prime.
Moses Botbol and I rate this bottle 94/100 points.


This tasting of 1966 Sandeman from a source who's storage conditions were highly questionable yielded positive results.
Color: Pale, rust, and slightly orange sunset at the rim.
The nose was of figs, almonds and a bit of grapefruit or blood orange with a light alcohol scent.
Rather thin tasting and slightly dry, a bit short on the finish. It had a spicy, pear-like taste, mildly astringent, but overall very nice. It is more than likely at it's prime now.
Moses & Sean C. rating 92/100

I should add both bottles were decanted for 3 hours.

Thanks for the note. About 4 years ago I had a BB&R bottling of the 66 Taylor and I was stunned how youthful it showed.

Sean C.

To enlighten me. You say the BBR bottling of Taylors 1966 port.

How does this work? Did BBR buy vintage in bulk, and bottled themselves?

Bjørn Tore Aastorp Ruud wrote:Sean C.

To enlighten me. You say the BBR bottling of Taylors 1966 port.

How does this work? Did BBR buy vintage in bulk, and bottled themselves?

I think it was bottled by BB&R in England....unless they just labeled the bottle?? Which would mean it was shipped in pipes? to the UK and bottled.
Wasn't a large majority of Port bottled outside of Portugal up until 1970?
Someone else should answer this ..what do I know!..I just drink the stuff!

That is correct Sean, up until 1970 when Oporto bottling became law, there were many British retailers that would ship great pipes or even smaller barrels and bottle it themselves. I am pretty sure that BB&R were one of these shippers.

This can often be why there is much bottle variation in pre-'70 Ports... depending upon which shipper's version of a particular vintage, their storage, shipping and bottling practices (I imagine) could affect the Port.

Todd

Todd,

I definitely agree with you about this being one of the significant causations for bottle variation in older bottlings of Vintage Port.


However:

"there were many British retailers that would ship great pipes or even smaller barrels and bottle it themselves."

Port Shippers were established firms in Oporto and Gaia way back when, who were responsible for all shipping arrangements after production took place. Most British owned firms had "agents" in the UK who were responsible for importing and arranging sales with the retailers, who later bottled the wines in their own shops or at the homes of well heeled country squires. But retailers were not involved in the actual transport by ship of casks. Of course some of them were significant enough to make their own deals in Oporto, but that was not the case for the vast majority.

The bottle had a BB&R branded cork, so unless Taylor was supplied the corks, it was bottled England. Great bottle of port.