PLEASE NOTE: This is a recurring auction. The seal number(s) you see on the photos might differ from the one(s) on your bottle(s). Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny Port 1 x 0.75L 1 Bottle Port Wine DESCRIPTION For 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 founding Port houses. It is dedicated entirely to the production of Port wine and in particular to its finest styles. Above all, 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. Taylor’s is also respected as a producer of wood aged ports and holds one of the largest reserves of rare cask aged wines from which its distinguished aged tawny Ports are drawn. 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. Based in Oporto and the Douro Valley the company is closely involved in all stages of the production of its Ports, from the planting of the vineyard and the cultivation of the grapes to the making, ageing, blending and bottling of the wines. The family’s commitment to the future of Port is demonstrated in its single minded dedication to the highest standards in Port production, its continued investment in all aspects of the firm’s operations and its determination to preserve the unique environment of the Douro Valley through the promotion of sustainable and responsible viticulture. WINEMAKER: David Guimaraens. AWARDS/RECOMMENDATIONS 18.5 Points, Jancis Robinson 95 Points, Revista Adega WINE VARIETIES: Old Vines. VINIFICATION The VVOP is the latest in a series of limited releases of very fine and rare Ports drawn from Taylor’s treasury of very very old cask-aged reserves. This unique blend is one of the oldest wines released to date. It is made from a selection of rare lots matured in wood in Taylor’s cellars, some of which have been quietly concentrating to a magical quintessence since before the Second World War. It represents the legacy of ancestral knowledge passed down from one generation to the next: the skill of taylor’s practiced team of coopers, who crafted the casks and maintained them over the years; the expertise of the cellar masters, who cared for the wine during its decades in the cellar and the art of the blenders who have given the vvop its exceptional balance and finesse. The sublime, complex character of Taylor’s VVOP was born of a magical interaction with the oak casks, in which the wine has been nurtured over many decades of ageing in the company’s cellars. A masterpiece of cask ageing, the VVOP confirms Taylor’s place as a leader in the production of the finest barrel aged Ports of great age. TASTING NOTES Deep chestnut brown at the centre gradually fading to amber and a narrow edge of pale straw at the rim. The age of this magical Port is immediately evident. It represents the pinnacle of what long wood ageing can achieve particularly when skilful blending provides additional definition and symmetry. The wine has the precision and intricacy of a watch movement, all its complex elements working together in harmony. The nose is intense but finely constituted and the aromas remarkably delicate and ethereal given its great age. Undertones of butterscotch, dried figs and freshly ground coffee intermingle with marzipan and sultana to give the wine an opulent, plum pudding character but this remains discreetly in the background and is lifted by fresh notes of orange peel and apricot. Hints of vanilla, cedar wood and cinnamon provide a subtle spicy redolence. On the palate the wine has a light touch displaying bright acidity and perfect balance but holds massive reserves of aroma which emerge on the long finish in a seemingly endless mellow surge. Very few Ports retain such balance and finesse after so many years maturing in cask. SERVING Taylor’s VVOP is best served after a meal, slowly treasured as a dessert in its own right. However, given the wine’s incredible freshness, bright acidity and concentration it will also combine beautifully with the flavours of figs, almonds and caramel. A decadent crème brûlée or even some wild strawberries. The wine benefits from being served slightly chilled, between 12ºC to 16ºC. The particular qualities of this wine allow it to be enjoyed over an extended period of time once opened, without losing its freshness and vibrancy. Optimum drinking time after opening the bottle is two months.