Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port | 75 cl

Product Information

You can find a range of ports at most major supermarkets, as well as specialist retailers. Supermarkets that sell port wines include: Red ports tend to spend fewer years ageing in wooden barrels or vats, which should give them a fruitier, more tannic profile and a vivid red-purple colour. Port is a Portuguese fortified wine often enjoyed alongside a cheese board, after a big meal or simply as a relaxing evening treat. It was clear as soon as the wines were run from the lagares that a fine vintage was in the bag, and the shippers could hardly conceal their glee at the prospect of a major vintage declaration. By the time the wines were offered in the spring/summer of 1996, the market had recovered fully from the recession of the early 1990s with the US having become particularly receptive to vintage Port. Opening prices rose considerably and in some cases have continued to soar, perversely overtaking mature vintages like 1970. The wines were appealing from the start, with ripe fleshy fruit concealing the underlying tannic grip that will enable these wines to stand the test of time. Best wines

The grapes tended to be small with little juice resulting in deep, dense powerful wines for the medium-to-long-term. It was declared by the Symington-owned houses Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell and Quarles Harris in preference to 1992. Taylor’s and Fonseca declared single-quinta wines. 1991 was a watershed vintage in that, for the first time, more vintage Port was shipped to the US than the UK. Best wines Taylor’s has now capitalised on the momentous occasion by launching a limited-edition gift box featuring its 2003 Vintage Port. We asked Charles for his tips on choosing the best bottle of port, and explain what we found when we tested supermarket ports. Tawny keeps better than vintage since it’s already been exposed to air during maturation. Kept in the fridge or cellar, a tawny port can be enjoyed many weeks after the bottle is opened.Related articles Port vintage guide: 2000-2022 Know your Port styles Seasonal Ports: 15 to try this winter Video: How to decant vintage Port It’s safe enough to drink, but if you’re sensitive to the smell, it can be offputting, and impacts the flavour of the drink.

History has been rather unfair to the 1966s which, until relatively recently, were completely overshadowed by the 1963s. Although quality is not as uniformly high as 1963, 1966 hits many of the same high spots with wines combining concentration, structure and intensity. Although bottlings vary (a consequence of bottling in both Vila Nova de Gaia and in the UK) Dow and Fonseca are stupendous. Best wines In doing so, the tourism tycoon became the first Portuguese man in space, and he toasted his 10-minute suborbital journey with a glass of his favourite fortified wine.The 2003 vintage was blessed with warm weather at the end of May, supporting a successful flowering, followed by intense summer heat in early August. Vintage ports are the top-quality red ports from a single year – and only the best years. They’re aged in wood for just a couple of years. Unlike most ports, they have the potential to develop in the bottle (more on that later).

After each harvest, the tasting panel selects the finest Port wines from the three properties and these are then left to age for two winters in oak vats. You might think port lasts forever after it’s been opened, but sadly that’s not the case, though it differs by type.Early tastings tended to play down the overall quality of the 1970s and it is only several decades on that these tight-knit, beautifully balanced wines have come to be judged in their true light. Although not as fine overall as the undeniably impressive 1963s, there are wines from 1970 that deserve to be ranked among the great vintage Ports of the 20th century. This being the last vintage to be bottled both in Portugal and in the UK, there is inevitably a certain amount of variation from bottle to bottle. All subsequent vintages were bottled in Vila Nova de Gaia. Best wines Eat well, live better, stay healthy - sign up for our free monthly Food & Health newsletter for the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox