Taylor is one of the oldest Port wine companies, established in 1692, and to this day under remains under family management. The Portuguese name «Vinho do Porto» has become in English «Port Wine». Produced on the magnificent terraces of the Douro Demarcated Region, which boasts one of the most beautiful wine landscapes in the world, its first shipments outside Portugal were recorded in 1678.Īlthough Port wine has always been produced in the vineyards of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, it took the name of the city of Porto, the place from which it was shipped. With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.Port Wine, one of the great classic European wines, has a long and fascinating history. White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
#TAYLOR PORT WINE MANUAL#
The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The home of Port-perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage-the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. When ten-year anniversary tastings are done, this will have to be on the shortlist of greats to reconsider to determine how the best in the vintage are meeting expectations. Great young Ports go through many phases, and both are great young Ports. I'd pick this today, but in time, both undoubtedly will have more tales to tell.
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At some point, reevaluation is required.Īt the moment, it seems to be a step up on the Vinha Velha, although that is far more closed. As noted in the accompanying article, I don't see much point to impossibly long drinking windows. It will need some time, probably a lot more than indicated, and will likely last longer than indicated as well. It tastes great now (today, it is far more vivid than its Vinha Velha sibling), but the power makes this hard to drink today. It is potentially a great Taylor's, effortlessly combining brilliant fruit and structure. It's not particularly thick, austere or astringent, but this is built for the long haul. A step up (or two) on the 2016, this shows fine depth, more focus, vivid fruit and serious power. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. The 2017 Vintage Port, not quite bottled when seen but the final blend, is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in wood. A beautifully delineated wine, with poise and definition and the tantalizing promise of pleasures still to come. The palate is held in place by lithe, muscular tannins, firm and grippy on the finish, and ends with a powerful surge of crisp, pure berry fruit. The nose is reserved but there is impressive depth and background. Signature fragrance of violets, which hangs like a scented veil over the wine with discreet terroir notes of citrus and wild herbs. The nose is threaded with fine, linear fruit, heady and complex but restrained by a graphite minerality. Opaque at the center with a narrow purple rim. Temperatures at harvest were mild, with cool nights, leading to balanced fermentations and excellent extraction. The last time picking was recorded as having started this early was in 1945 when the first fruit was picked on September 3rd. Picking started at Quinta de Vargellas on September 1st. As expected, the crop ripened very early, showing high sugar levels which led to longer fermentations and very effective color extraction.
Conditions remained dry until the end of September although temperatures for much of the ripening season were moderate. June was extremely hot and the early cycle continued with véraison around June 18th, one month earlier than the previous year. The dry conditions continued into Spring and the warm weather in April and May encouraged rapid growth of the vines. Following a wet 2016, the year started with cold and dry winter conditions.
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