1965 Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Very Old Tawny Port 1967 Limited Edition
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Tasting notes
Presumably matured by Wiese & Krohn, fairly recently acquired by The Fladgate Partnership. This comes in a smart wooden box and the 2,000 bottles filled are just at the end of their life as half-century birthday gifts. I tasted a small sample from a test tube. It didn't have much nose and was a little rank on the palate but had masses of alcohol and punch. It's fun with some dried apricot flavour but is much more jagged and less integrated than the Graham's 1972. I can see why it is cheaper. A bit hot, then dry, on the end. (JR)
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
From a 20-cl sample bottle. Deeply burnished and gleaming burnt sienna. Complex figgy sweetness, nutty caramel and still some caramelised apricot fruit. Intense, complex flavours match the aromas – figs and reduced, caramelised apricot, plus orange zest. So lively and yet with all the nutty complexity of a 50-year-old tawny. Still super-fresh. (JH)
The 1965 Very Old Single Harvest Port, that is, a Coheita, single vintage tawny, is part of Taylor's continuing series of releases of old Colheitas. A field blend of typical grapes, it comes in at 157 grams per liter of residual sugar. In the overall context of amazing old Colheitas, it may not take 1st prize, but it will strike anyone who loves them as pretty fine. Get ready for those aromatics that are powerful from several feet away. Irresistible on opening, it has an up-front rush of sugar, concentrated aromatics and remarkable concentration of flavor on the finish. Laced with classic old tawny nuances, including a bit of molasses and treacle, it ends with a dark, burnished feel. The mid-palate depth is just average. There are some whiffs of brandy that are sometimes rather too obvious here and there, but not often. Overall, it is bright and lively, with its good acidity cutting through the sugar and concentrated flavors. The two balance each other well. Some tawnies are caressing and sensual; some are rich and lush; some lean more to bite and focus. This is in the latter category, but the price of admission here is that concentration of mature, old tawny Port flavors. The acidity and the sugar lace those flavors into the palate. It emphasizes treacle more as time goes on. It's pretty fine. Note: this was tasted from a 375ml with a bar-top cork.