2013 Taylor's, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Portugal

2013 Taylor's, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Portugal

Product: 20131108026
 
2013 Taylor's, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Portugal

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About this WINE

Taylor Fladgate

Taylor Fladgate

Taylor's Port, sometimes called Taylor-Fladgate (particularly in the U.S.) is one of the most well-known of all Port wine brands.

The first Taylor joined in 1816, followed  later by a Fladgate and a Yeatman. Taylor’s is the only Port wine shipper to remain completely independent throughout its history. British ownership continues to this day, when, after the last Yeatman, Dick, died in 1966, the firm passed via his widow to her nephew, Alistair Robertson.

Adrian Bridge, Alistair's son-in-law, is the current Managing Director. David Guimarãens leads the winemaking team that is responsible for maintaining Taylor’s position as a premium Port wine producer.

Taylor’s was the first to commercialise a Single Quinta (Estate) Vintage with their 1958 Quinta de Vargellas. Taylor’s were one of the first shippers to offer a 10 & 20 year old Aged Tawny ports and in the early 1970's it pioneered the Late Bottled Vintage (or LBV) style.

In addition to Vintage Port, Taylor's has also enjoyed considerable success with its Quinta de Vargellas, under which label Vintage wine is made in good years that have not been declared.The range has been augmented by the 116-hectare Quinta de Terra Feita in the Pinhão valley and Quinta do Junco, Vila Nova da Gaia and Xisto.

The Port wines are typically closed and austere when young; it is only with adequate ageing that they loosen up and offer their subliminal qualities. Worth waiting for, though, to secure stocks one is best advised to buy young.

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LBV [Late Bottled Vintage]

LBV [Late Bottled Vintage]

Usually known simply, and rather jauntily, as ‘LBV’, Late Bottled Vintage Port starts life in exactly the same way as a true Vintage Port and can provide an excellent, earlier-drinking alternative.

Late Vintage Port is made entirely from grapes harvested in a specific year from a variety of vineyards, but is then left to age in barrel for four to six years before bottling, compared to around 18 months for Vintage. LBV does not have the grandeur, intensity and concentration of Vintage Port, but the finest examples boast mature, well-rounded, velvety fruit and a rich, smooth finish.

On the label, both the vintage and the bottling date must be shown, and ‘Late Bottled Vintage’ must be clearly stated so as to avoid any confusion. There are two distinct styles of LBV: Traditional LBVs tend to be the best, and are usually from a good vintage that has not been declared. They are unfined and unfiltered, and can age and improve for several years after bottling. They also throw a sediment so require decanting before serving.

Most LBV, however, is filtered and cold-stabilized. These may lack the power and structure of traditional LBVs but are at their peak as soon as they are released and do not require decanting. Excessive filtering can strip LBVs of their character, however, and poorer examples are little better than a standard Ruby Port.

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Port Blend

Port Blend

There are around 40 different grape varieties permitted in the production of Port - however the vast majority of Ports are produced from a blend of 5 grapes - Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cão.

Touriga Nacional produces small, dark-skinned grapes that produce opaque black wines of great extract and high tannins - it gives grip, body, and structure to the blend.

Touriga Franca has a thinner skin and consequently produces wines lighter in colour and tannins than Touriga Nacional. It contributes fruit, aroma, suppleness and roundness.

Tinta Roriz is the Portuguese name for Tempranillo and its high sugar content and low acidity contribute colour and fruit.

Tinta Barroca which is normally grown at highish altitudes and on north-facing slopes, is prized for producing wines of delicacy, finesse and with smooth, velvety fruit. It brings elegance and sweet, ripe fruit to the final blend.

Finally Tinto Cão produces fine and complex wines, though it is probably the least important of the 5 grapes as its painfully small yields have reduced plantings to almost insignificant levels.

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