1948 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port
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Tasting notes
Made by Dick Yeatman. Still some red in the pale-garnet colour. Still looks pretty vigorous. This is a port that, amazingly, is nowhere near its peak. Light but a distinctly burly, though positive nose. So concentrated! Amazing vigour and still with structure and a straight back – just like Adrian Bridge of The Fladgate Partnership, who was presenting it at a tasting and lunch at Raby Castle. Nutty notes on the incredibly nuanced and concentrated finish. Magnificent. Such persistence. But ideally it should be kept for even longer. (JR)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Pale tawny colour. Sweet, medicinal and jewelly-fresh. Really refined and aristocratic. (JR)
Two bottles of Taylor's legendary 1948 Fladgate Vintage Port were tasted, both "rescued" from the cellars of Corpus Christies college at Oxford University having lain there since release. And they were so different! This note comes from the bottle that showed much less volatility. It has a majestic bouquet that compared to the '48 Graham has more density, more "thrust" as it were. While the Graham has more delicacy and nuance, the Taylor's hurtles like a raging bull toward the senses with luscious raspberry preserve, soy, clove and sage aromas. It is brilliantly detailed: aromatics for whom the term "tour de force" was invented. The palate offers more density and weight than the Graham, more fruit concentration with layers of decayed red fruit intermingling with clove, sage, orange rind and a pinch of black pepper. Texturally sumptuous and rounded on the finish, it contains otherworldly length. It's not quite the perfect specimen that I have encountered in the past...but it comes close. One of the greatest Vintage Ports of the 20th century without doubt. Tasted May 2015.