Taylor Fladgate 40 Year Tawny Port Douro

Winemaker Notes: A sublime Port of very great age which shows the old olive-gold hue of its many years in cask. Decades of evaporation have concentrated this extraordinary wine to an exceptional density, with a powerful nose of dried fruit, honey and a touch of spice. Impressions of nutmeg, roasted coffee and an intense nuttiness converge both in the bouquet and on the palate. The wine’s rich, intense, voluptuous, almost viscous texture culminate in a finish of incredible length.

Taylor Fladgate 40 Year Old Tawny is a very rare old tawny blend, produced in limited quantities. Selected red Ports produced in the eastern areas of the Douro Valley, are matured in seasoned oak casks in Taylor Fladgate’s cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Here the cool and damp coastal climate encourages a slow and gentle ageing process producing aromas of great complexity and finesse. The 40 years of ageing in wood have concentrated this wine almost to an essence, producing intense and complex nutty and spicy aromas and a dense and concentrated palate full of rich mellow flavour.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Spectator - "This is a beauty, with a mix of date, dried cherry, hazelnut husk, green tea, singed sandalwood and bitter almond notes all racing along together in unison. Shows tension and clarity on the very lengthy finish. Drink now."


Wine Enthusiast - "A superb wine, elegance and weight combined magisterially. It has all the right mature flavors, ripe fruit, intense marmalade and concentration. This is a wine with a great reputation, and the taste doesn't let that reputation down. Imported by Kobrand."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled with a bar top cork in 2014. It comes in with 125 grams per liter of residual sugar. Big, weighty and mouth filling, this is an aromatic Tawny that finishes with acidity and tension. Gripping on the finish, its flavors become more interesting as long as it sits in the glass (or on your palate). It is not, perhaps, as sunny as the Fonseca, its sibling reviewed this issue, but it is denser and more gripping. Comparing to the Taylor 30 (also reviewed), I'm not sure I liked the 40 here all that much better. The 30 is a bit fleshier while this 40 is a bit more concentrated in flavor and aromatics. Perhaps some additional age also helped this 40 combat some of the aggression on the 30. They are both pretty fine, a difference of five to Midnight and five after, rather than night and day. It is still a fine experience and my favorite of the group. Don't drink it too warm. Room temperature is mostly too warm. The sweet spot for most tends to be 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit. "


Wine & Spirits - "From almond croissant to sweet fresh raspberries, this is a mouthwatering and flavorful Tawny focused more on richness than complexity. It settles into salty dried-fig notes with air, ready to elevate a post-theater supper of cured meats and aged cheeses. "