|
2008
Single Quinta Ports from the Taylor Fladgate group
Some serious Ports from an excellent non-declared vintage
For
Port, Vintages are only declared on average three times a decade.
Therefore, there’s some great value Port to be had in ‘shadow
vintages’ – really good vintages that aren’t declared simply
because of their proximity to declared years. 2008, it seems, is
such a year. Following from the brilliant 2007 vintage, it’s also
an excellent vintage, but perhaps not quite as shining as its
predecessor.
I was
sent cask samples (half bottles) of the 2008 single quinta wines
from the Taylor Fladgate group. These are all of good vintage Port
standard, but because they are released as single quinta wines, they
represent somewhat of a bargain. I tried these Ports over several
evenings, so I hope these notes are
pretty representative of the wines.
THE
WINES
Taylor’s
Quinta de Terra Feita 2008
Intensely aromatic: rich, tarry and spicy with a lovely
combination of freshness and richness. The palate is concentrated,
dense and savoury with a lovely tension between the sweet, dark
fruits and the savoury, spicy notes. Lovely richness and density,
with firm tannins. Brilliant. 96/100
Taylor’s
Quinta de Vargellas 2008
Rich and sweet with dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit on
the nose, as well as some spicy notes. The palate is pure, smooth
and sweet with some lush dark fruits over a spicy, tannic backbone.
Rich and lush, but with enough structure to maintain interest.
Seductive with real refinement. 94/100
Fonseca
Quinta do Panascal 2008
Beautiful nose: sweet blackcurrant fruit with a savoury
spiciness and some blackcurrant bud richness. The palate is dense
and spicy with great concentration and lovely savouriness. Rich
blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with nice tannic structure. A
superb port with lovely density and structure. 95/100
Fonseca
Guimaraens 2008
Rich, spicy, cedary and warm with dense blackberry and dark
cherry fruit. Bold, concentrated and well balanced, with some nice
floral violet notes as well as the richer, spicy, woody characters.
Firm tannins, too. Very appealing. 93/100
Croft
Quinta da Roeda 2008
Quite dense, rich and sweet with blackberry and plum fruit and
nice spicy tannins. Sweet, lush, jammy fruit
dominates. Sweet and approachable on opening, yet with a week
open this puts on weight. A lovely Port. 93/100
Wines
tasted 07/10
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
VISITING
TAYLOR, CROFT and FONSECA
 Introduction:
visiting Taylor, Croft and Fonseca in Portugal's Douro
Taylor's
Port, and Quinta de Vargellas
Fonseca's
Port, and Quinta da Panascal
Croft
Port and Quinta da Roeda
The
Nogueira Winery: making Port
The
Yeatman, a new luxury hotel in Porto
The
2008 single Quinta Ports from Taylor, Fonseca and Croft
Photos
from the Douro Valley, Part 5, Taylor's
Vargellas and Fonseca's Panascal
Photos
from the Douro Valley, part 4
Photos
from the Douro Valley, part
3, Croft's Quinta da Roeda, Douro
Back
to top
|
