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Taylor’s & Fonseca Port Tastingwith Amanda Lloyd & Antony Davis11th October 2023
About Taylor’sFor many, Taylor’s is the archetypal Port house and its wines the quintessential Ports. Established over three centuries ago in 1692, Taylor’s is one of the oldest of the found-ing Port houses. It is dedicated entirely to the production of Port wine and in particular to its finest styles. Taylor’s is regarded as the benchmark for Vintage Port. Noted for their elegance and poise as well as for their restrained power and longevity, Taylor’s Vintage Ports are blended from the finest wines of the firm’s own quintas or estates, Vargellas, Terra Feita and Junco. These three iconic properties, each occupying a distinct geographic location and with their own unique character, are the cornerstone of the company’s success and the main source of its unique and inimitable house style.The house is also known as the originator of Late Bottled Vintage, a style which the firm pioneered and of which it remains the leading producer.Above all, Taylor’s is an independent company in which some family members play a leading role in all areas of the firm’s activity. The firm’s long and unbroken family tradition has provided continuity and clarity of purpose, essential attributes of any great wine house. It has also allowed the skills and knowledge required to produce the finest ports to be constantly refined and added to in the light of experience as they are passed down from one generation to the next.About FonsecaFonseca belongs in the first league of vintage port houses. Few port producers have maintained such consistency of quality and style from vintage to vintage. From the legendary 1840, Fonseca’s first Vintage Port release, to the superb declared vintages of the last decade, the house has produced a succession of highly acclaimed wines even in the most adverse moments of history.James Suckling, in his authoritative book on Vintage Port, put it as follows: ‘The vintage Ports of Fonseca are perhaps the most consistently great of them all. Not only do they have a striking fleshiness and powerful richness when young, but they retain that youthfulness for decades.’This consistency derives not only from continuity of family involvement, and the knowl-edge and skill passed down from one generation to the next, but also a close link with the vineyard. The firm’s three estates of Cruzeiro, Panascal and Santo António are the heart of the distinctive character of Fonseca’s Vintage Ports. Fonseca’s respect for the vineyard and the unique environment of the Douro Valley expresses itself in the firm’s leadership in the field of sustainable and organic viticulture. It was the first house to oer a Port made entirely from organically produced grapes.
Taylor’s Chip Dry and TonicTaylor’s Port was the first to produce a dry white aperitif port. Chip Dry White Port was first blended in 1934, since when it has acquired a devoted follow-ing throughout the world.The ready-to-drink 5.5% abv, Taylor’s Chip Dry and Tonic, the first Port & Tonic in a can is perfect for enjoying at home or alfresco in the park or at the beach with friends and family. The can is light, 100% recyclable, easy to carry and store.Recognised as the perfect Port to make the refresh-ing and elegant White Port and Tonic cocktail, our ready-to-drink can has been crafted using our very own specially designed tonic water to wholly com-plement Chip Dry White Port to create the perfect serve: a refined, balanced and refreshing cocktail with flavours of mint and lemon. Chill and enjoy straight from the can or serve over ice with a citrus slice and sprig of mint.Tasting NotesDelicate nose combining fresh fruit fragrances with the mellow aromas and hints of oak of a traditional white port. Fresh, lively palate with a crisp, dry finishPairing SuggestionsPerfect for picnics in the park, barbecues, parties and at home. A light easy-to-enjoy drink4 x 25cl - £9.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Taylor’s 10 Year Old TawnyAlthough best known for its legendary Vintage Ports, Taylor’s is also one of the most respected producers of 10 Year Old Tawny Port. This style of Port is fully matured in seasoned oak casks each holding about 630 litres of wine. Here, over many years of ageing, the wine gradually takes on its characteristic amber ‘tawny’ colour, slowly developing the complex mellow flavours and the smooth luscious palate which are the hallmarks of Tawny Port.Taylor’s blends its magnificent 10 year old tawny from its extensive reserves of old cask aged Ports matured in the firm’s cool and tranquil cellars (known as ‘lodges’) in Oporto on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny is a superb example of the aged tawny style. Mellow and elegant, combin-ing delicate wood notes with rich aromas of mature fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking.Tasting NotesDeep brick colour with amber rim. Rich and elegant nose combining aromas of ripe berry fruit with a del-icate nuttiness and subtle mellow notes of chocolate, butterscotch and fine oak wood. Smooth and silky on the palate and full of ripe figgy, jammy flavours which persist on the long finish.Pairing SuggestionsA delicious dessert wine, and combines particular-ly well with flavours of almonds, berry fruit or dark chocolate. It can also be enjoyed as an accompani-ment for rich, blue veined cheeses.75cl - £21.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Fonseca 20 Year Old TawnyFonseca 20 Year Old is made from selected red Ports grown in the best vineyards of the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. The wine ages in small oak casks, generally holding about 630 litres, where there is a relatively small volume of wine compared to the surface area of the vessel, so contact with the wood is proportionately greater.As it matures in cask, Tawny Port gradually loses the deep red ‘ruby’ colour of youth and takes on the seductive amber hue known as ‘tawny’. At the same time the wine becomes progressively smooth-er and mellower, its aromas gaining in richness and complexity. Twenty years of ageing has given this wine a wonderfully opulent nutty and spicy flavour.Tasting NotesFonseca 20 Year Old Tawny is deep amber in colour with russet highlights. Its superb bouquet is a com-plex marriage of ripe, plummy, mature fruit, warm spicy overtones of cinnamon and butterscotch and subtle oak nuances.Pairing SuggestionsIt combines well with flavours of figs, almonds and caramel. It is an excellent complement for a crème brulée or a plate of wild strawberries. It may also be appreciated on its own, at the end of the meal, with walnuts or dried fruit.75cl - £39.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Fonseca Bin No. 27Fonseca Bin 27 was launched in Great Britain in 1972. Although consumers liked the depth of flavour and the rich character of Vintage Port wines, the need to decant and finish the bottle within a few hours meant that they were not always the best choice for drinking by the glass on more informal occasions.Made from selected reserve Port wines, which are chosen for their smooth, round and full-bodied mouthfeel and their intense and fine fruit character.Bin 27 is bottled when it is ready to drink, and can be served by the glass without the need for decanting. To ensure consistency of character and its intrinsic Fonseca style, it is made from dierent lots of reserve wines, oering the customer a safe and aordable value.Tasting NotesYoung, deep ruby color. Intense, rich and fruity nose, full of pure blackberry, cassis, cherry and plum aromas intertwined with hints of spice. In the mouth it is full-bodied and round, with a soft and velvety texture, balanced by firm tannins that fill the mouth. The juicy black fruit flavors continue on the delicious, rich finish.Pairing SuggestionsFonseca Bin 27 is very well suited for the classic port and cheese combination. A good farmhouse cheddar would be perfect. It is also delicious with desserts made from dark chocolate or berry fruit.75cl - £14.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Taylor’s First Estate ReserveTaylor’s were the first English Port shippers to visit the Douro Valley for the purpose of buying wine and in 1744 became the first to acquire a property there, Lugar das Lages, near the old town of Régua. Lugar das Lages still belongs to the company today.A young, vibrant, rich and fruity Port, made in the classic way and traditional to the style that was very much sought after in the wines of the Douro Valley by the early eighteenth century Shippers.The carefully selected individual wines, are aged in a combination of oak vats and casks for three to four years, where they gain smoothness and elegance. They are then blended for continuity of style.Tasting NotesDeep ruby in colour, it has a potent nose of concen-trated fruit, crammed with blackcurrant, plum and liquorice flavours. Its luscious texture is supported by a firm tannic structure giving the wine restrained elegance for which Taylor’s Ports are famous.Pairing SuggestionsVery well suited for the classic Port and cheese combination. It is particularly good with all rich cheeses, especially Stilton and Roquefort.75cl - £14.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Fonseca LBV 2016LBV stands for Late Bottled Vintage. It was developed as an alternative to Vintage Port for more relaxed and informal occasions. Like Vintage, LBV is a very high quality Port from a single year. However, unlike Vintage Port, which is bottled after only two years in wood, LBV is bottled after four to six years and is ready to drink when bottled.The wines used to produce Fonseca LBV were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full-bodied red Ports produced at the 2016 harvest, from grapes grown on Fonseca’s own vineyards and on other top properties in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the Douro. LBV Unfiltered is aged in large wooden vats and then drawn o into bottle with no fining or filtration. The result is a naturally expressive wine which has sacrificed none of its depth and full-ness of flavour.Tasting NotesDeep, inky purple core with a bricking red rim. Rich, luscious and highly perfumed nose. Notes of black-berry, wild plum, logan berry, liquorice and a won-derful tension. Cloudberries give that added layer of soft, plump fruit, a mix of raspberry and redcurrant, with a hint of floral sweetness. On the palate, spice, brambles, assam tea with its traces of dark choco-late, cocoa and an alluring herbaceous hint. Good grip, concentration of dark woodland fruit, silky tan-nins and a fresh bright finish, with incredible length and generous mouth feel.Pairing SuggestionsThe perfect finish to any meal. Excellent with fully flavoured cheeses, especially blue cheeses such as Stilton or Roquefort. It is also delicious with desserts made with chocolate or berry fruits.75cl - £18.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Taylor’s LBV 2018Vintage Port and LBV both present a selection of very fine full bodied red ports from a single year. The fundamental dierence between the two styles lies in the way each is matured. Vintage Port is kept in wood for only twenty months or so before being transferred to the bottle where it will continue to age. Late Bottled Vintage, as the name suggests, is bottled later, remaining in wood between four and six years. During this relatively long period of wood ageing, an LBV matures and settles down - it is ready to drink when bottled, does not need to be decant-ed and can be served by the glass for several weeks after the cork is drawn.Tasting NotesDeep ruby colour. The elegant and stylish nose com-bines fresh, intense blackcurrant and cherry aromas with subtle notes of liquorice and spice. On the pal-ate the rich and concentrated black fruit flavour is supported by firm but well integrated tannins. True to the Taylor’s style the wine shows great balance and finesse.Pairing SuggestionsExcellent with fully flavoured cheeses, especially blue cheeses such as Stilton or Roquefort. It is also delicious with desserts made with chocolate or berry fruits.75cl - £14.50Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Taylor’s Quinta de VargellasQuinta de Vargellas is pre-eminent among the wine estates of the Douro. Located in the wild and hilly eastern reaches of the Douro valley, it has been prized as a source of the finest Port wines since the 1820s. Today it ranks among the great vineyards of the world.In years when a Taylor’s Vintage is not declared, the decision may be taken to bottle a Single Quinta Vin-tage Port. This is made entirely from grapes grown on the Vargellas property and bears the name of the estate on the label.A Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port is generally more early maturing than the declared Taylor’s Vintages. Often quite approachable when young, they will nev-ertheless mature well for many years if laid down.Tasting NotesA classic Vargellas nose, fine, elegant and poised with a linear surge of pure singing, woodland in-fused with a plummy freshness and hints of citrus and fresh quince. A subtle spiciness, with hints of nutmeg, anise and cacao, emerges from behind the fruit. Typically of Vargellas, the palate is supported by taut, sinewy tannins and the grippy finish delivers a burst of clean, fresh berry fruit flavour. A very fine single-quinta Vintage Port, confident and in perfect balance.Pairing SuggestionsMost often served after a meal, alone or with cheese, nuts, dried fruits or chocolate75cl - £32.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Fonseca Guimaraens 2012When Guimaraens Vintage Ports were first released in the 1930’s they were made in the same years as the classic Fonseca Vintage Ports but blended from slightly less powerful components, much like the second wines of the Bordeaux châteaux.Today Guimaraens Vintage Ports are made in years when the wines are more supple and early matur-ing and Fonseca in vintages producing bigger, more long lasting Ports.Guimaraens Vintage Ports nevertheless share the or-igins, heritage and complex fruity style of the classic Fonseca vintages and are drawn from the produce of the same three estates. They dier only in that they are more approachable, ready to drink earlier and more accessibly priced.Tasting NotesDeep ruby colour with fine purple rim. On the nose it presents an impressive depth and intensity of fruit. Elegant and complex berry aromas intertwined with discreet balsamic and resinous notes of garrigue, cistus and wild plants. In the mouth the black fruit flavors show surprising freshness and a thick, tight mesh of tannins provides both structure and volume. Wonderful, very long finish of juicy cassis and rasp-berry flavors. This seductive and balanced 2012 Gui-maraens perfectly combines the depth and exuber-ance of Quinta do Panascal with the well-delineated fruit and intoxicating perfume of the Pinhão valley.Pairing SuggestionsWalnuts are an excellent accompaniment to Vintage Port, as are blue-veined and other richly flavored cheeses. So too are dried fruits such as apricots or figs.75cl - £29.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Fonseca Vintage 1997Fonseca has belonged to the first rank of Vintage Port producers since the mid-nineteenth century. Fonseca Vintage Ports are noted for their luscious fruitiness which develops great opulence and com-plexity with age. Wines born of inspired winemak-ing and a thorough understanding of viticulture and terroir, they appeal, perhaps more than any other house’s Vintage Ports, to the enthusiast and con-noisseur.Vintage Port wines represent the best of the prod-ucts of an exceptional year. Unlike Port wines that age in wood, Vintage Port wines will continue to age and improve in bottle for decades, inscribing in their character both the characteristics of the vineyard and the influence of the winemaker.The company’s Vintage Port wines come from its own estates: Cruzeiro and Santo António in the Pin-hão valley, which have contributed to the company’s Vintage Port blend for 100 years, as well as the Pa-nascal estate in the Távora valley.Tasting NotesAn attractive perfumed nose, elegant and complex; aromas of raspberries and fresh berries. A very ele-gant, delicate and full wine. Touches of tobacco and cedar wood - huge depth. Rich and lovely fruit and huge tannins. Long finish.Pairing SuggestionsWalnuts are an excellent accompaniment to Vintage Port, as are blue-veined and other richly flavored cheeses. So too are dried fruits such as apricots or figs.75cl - £79.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk
Taylor’s Vintage 2003Taylor’s Vintage Port is one of the world’s great icon-ic wines. Made only in the very finest years – known as ‘declared’ vintages – Vintage Ports are blended from the best produce of the firm’s own estates of Quinta de Vargellas, Quinta de Terra Feita and more recently, Quinta do Junco.After each harvest, the tasting panel selects the fin-est Port wines from the three properties and these are then left to age for two winters in oak vats. In their second Spring, they are tasted again. If they are judged to be of exceptional quality, the Port wines of the three estates are blended together, Vargel-las bringing structure, elegance and complexity to the wine and Terra Feita and Junco body, depth and powerful, concentrated fruit.At this stage it must be decided whether a Vintage Port is to be ‘declared’. For a declaration to be made, the Vintage Port blend must be of outstanding qual-ity: austere in its youth, with tremendous depth of flavour and massive structure, capable of evolving over years, or decades into that quintessence of great Port, a mature Taylor’s Vintage. Historically Taylor’s has only declared about three Vintage years per decade.Tasting NotesArmed with exceptional power, depth and purity of fruit, this seductive vintage port with its character-istic Taylor understatement and restraint is still very youthful, with decades of potential ahead.Pairing SuggestionsThe soft buttery texture, mellow character and pi-quancy of mature blue cheese are perfectly matched by the powerfully majestic flavours of the Vintage Port.75cl - £79.95Your Tasting Noteswww.ndjohn.co.uk