Where To Buy Taylor Port Wine

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Best Colheita: 2007 Quinta Das Carvalhas Colheita

Courtesy of Total Wine

The vineyards at Quinta das Carvalhas have a front-row seat at a sharp bend of the famed Douro River where their vines are over a century old. The wood-aging process for their Colheita bottle is minimal, letting the fine fruit hog the spotlight.

Oaky and spicy with intense chocolate and raisin aromas, this wine is smooth, balanced, and comfortably sweet. Rich and mellow toffee is on the palate with red fruits and caramel flavors. The wood-aging shines through after a hearty gulp.

How Is Port Produced

Port is made from about thirty varieties of grape native to the Douro Valley. The best known varieties include Touriga Francesa, Touriga Nacional, and Tinta Roriz, most of which produce small thick-skinned berries. Theyre harvested by hand around mid-September and taken to the winery for crushing.

After being inspected and de-stemmed, the grapes are placed in granite treading tanks known as lagares where theyre trodden by foot. The grapes are thoroughly crushed before the fermentation process begins.

When about half of the grape juices natural sugars have been turned into alcohol, brandy is poured into the wine to begin the fortification process. About 115 liters of 77% alcohol brandy is added to 435 liters of fermenting wine.

The fermentation process is stopped before all the juice has been turned into alcohol, thereby preserving some of the natural sweetness of the grape. This is what gives port its distinctive sweetness.

Wine is kept at the winery in the Douro Valley for several months before being shipped to Portos Vila Nova de Gaia in the spring of the following year. It used to be shipped on the Douro River on special boats called barcos rabelos, but all shipments are now done over land.

Although port wine is produced in the Douro Valley, it gets its name from Porto because this is where the wine is aged in casks or vats before being blended, bottled, and exported.

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Ageing & Styles Of Port

Because of its ageing potential, there are many different styles of port. Port aged in wooden casks for example, will mature more rapidly than port kept in bottles.

When left long enough, port wine loses its deep red color and becomes the amber-hued style of port known as tawny. All port wine will eventually lose its color but the speed in which it does so is determined by how its aged.

Depending on the ageing process, port can be classified into two basic types wood-aged port and bottle-aged port. There are three styles of wood-aged port red, tawny, and white and two styles of bottle-aged port vintage and crusted.

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Best Ros: Porto Valdouro Rose

Courtesy of Total Wine

From the Wiese & Krohn estate, the Quinta do Retiro Novo off the Rio Torto Valley, comes this phosphorescent rosé. Pressed from temperature-controlled grapes and grown on shale soil vineyards, this bottle is your best bet if you like the sweetness of port, and also like everything to be glittery and pink.

This rosé confection has a heavy cherry aroma and flavors of raspberry, pomegranate and gooseberry.Balanced and medium-bodied, this bottle is the perfect aperitif served extra chilled before a meal.

Best Ruby: Taylor Fladgate Fine Ruby Porto

Courtesy of Minibar

Another old-timer in the field of port, Taylor Fladgates been in operation since 1692. Their port is of such high quality that the business managed to survive past Portugals disruptive and devastating earthquake of 1755 and bring you this delicious wine today. To keep up with modern times, the winery commits to sustainable practices for this perfect, efficiently-produced after-dinner wine.

Aged for roughly two years in oak vats, resulting in jammy black plum and blackberry on the nose with an oaky chocolatey undertone. Heavy flavors of dark fruits and a hearty, full-bodied structure give way to a hint of spice on the finish.

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Taylors Port Audio Tour

As described, there are many port houses you can choose from in Vila Nova de Gaia but I went with Taylors Port because its one of the oldest and largest. Its also one of the highest-rated. Taylors Port is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence awardee with a 4.5-star rating and over 2,750 reviews.

Another reason I chose Taylors Port is because of their self-guided audio tours. For EUR 15, you can tour the facilities with an audio guide at your own pace. Theres no schedule so you can come at any time, and it includes two port tastings.

You can purchase tickets at the gate, which is what I did, or buy them in advance online. You can also arrange for private tours via their website.

The Taylors Port winery is situated on a hill in Vila Nova de Gaia so it isnt as easy to get to. Its quite a walk from Dom Luis I Bridge so I suggest plotting your trip using . Just input your starting point for directions on how to get there using public transportation.

After paying for the tour, youll be given an audio guide and led to this large port wine cellar. The first half of the tour happens here and the second half in a museum-type space with a few exhibits. This for me was the more fascinating part.

At one end of the cellar is this gigantic oak vat. If I remember the audio guide correctly, its the largest vat they have at the port house.

After decades of evaporation, the tiled roofs of port houses are often blackened by a sooty growth known as angels share fungus.

Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Portport Varieties From Portugal

“This seductive, silky wine balances discreet dried red fruit and fig flavors with pronounced aromatic notes of nuts, praline and mocha in a luxuriant texture underscored by a …

• 92Wine Spectator

92Wine Spectator

“Very rich and elegant, this is loaded with flavors of dried apricot, butterscotch and white chocolate. The long and zesty finish is filed with smoke and toffee.” K.M.

Product Description:

“This seductive, silky wine balances discreet dried red fruit and fig flavors with pronounced aromatic notes of nuts, praline and mocha in a luxuriant texture underscored by a refined acidic backbone.” -Importer’s Notes

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Caves Ferreira Port Wine Cellar

We have to start with Caves Ferreira. This is the only big house of Port Wine that has remained in Portuguese hands since its foundation. Founded in 1751, the brands history is intertwined with the history of the evolution of the Douro Region, demarcated only 5 years after, in 1756.

Twice widowed, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira contributed significantly to the consolidation of the brand, taking over the business at 33, strengthening and expanding it thanks to her entrepreneurial spirit and charisma. Today, by visiting Caves Ferreira you can discover a brand that is over 250 years old, the history of Port wine, and the Douro region.

Best Splurge: Quinta Do Vesuvio Vintage Port Capela 2017

Courtesy of Wine.com

The Quinta do Vesuvio winery has been around as far back as the mid-1500s, but is currently run by the famed Symington family whove preserved the traditions of their Douro appellation to bring you absolute gems like this vintage port. The Symington family are into their fifth generation as makers of port and the grapes used for the knockout Capela 2017 grew off of vines that have been around since their first generation was working the land.

There are heady aromas of black tea, lavender, blueberry, black currant. Coarse tannins underscore the fresh flavor of dark and red fruits. This is dry with a dramatically long finish. Pair this well-structured stunner with rich meats and cheeses.

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Espao Porto Cruz Port Wine Multimedia Center

Espaço Porto Cruz offers more than Port wine tasting, it offers a full experience with the purpose of celebrating the culture of Port wine by associating modernity to tradition. It was created as a place for information, exhibition, and leisure providing new experiences around the famous Port wine and combines it with artistic creations in different areas such as fashion, art, and gastronomy.

Besides wine tasting, youll have access to the multimedia center, workshops, chocolate, and cheese tastings. Before you leave, go up to the 360º terrace for a truly memorable view!

From White To Tawny Ruby To Ros

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Liquor / Chloe Jeong

There are two kinds of wine that are distinctly Portuguese. One is the very satisfying mostly-white, rosé, and red wines from the Vinho Verde region, and the other is the sweet fortified port wine which also happens to be one of the countrys national treasures.

There are many kinds of fortified sweet wines, but a wine is only considered port if the grapes are grown in Portugals Douro Valley region where many of todays famed wineries were founded centuries ago. In particular, the Alto Douro region is the planets oldest demarcated wine region where wine has been made for over 2,000 years, technically making it a pre-historic winemaking region.

Maybe all this mind-blowing history is too overwhelming to wrap your head around. But dont worry you dont have to think about the wine, you just have to drink it. Thankfully, port wines are among the worlds top dessert wines, either to pair with a dessert or to have as a dessert. And thats why we put together this list of our best port wine selections, so you can have your cake and drink it too. Just please rememberserve them nicely chilled.

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Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest 1970 Port

$299.99

Taylor Fladgate holds one of the most extensive reserves of very old cask aged Port of any producer. They include a collection of rare Single Harvest Ports. These are Ports from a single year which age to full maturity in seasoned oak casks and display the year of harvest on the label. Taylor Fladgate has decided to make a limited release, each year, of a Single Harvest Port made 50 years previously. The seventh in the series is the 1970 Single Harvest.

Tasting Notes

Pale mahogany core surrounded by a broad pale gold rim with subtle olive highlights. On first impression, the wine is lifted and ethereal but soon begins to unfurl layer after layer of multi-dimensional aroma. First to emerge are notes of sawn wood and cigar leaf, against a background of cedar, balsam and citrus. These are followed by a warmer, mellow redolence of marzipan, walnut and coffee, notes of sultana and plum and spicy hints of black pepper and cardamom. Finally, the nose opens up a discreet savoury dimension, with hints of toast and wild herbs. On the palate, the wine has a smooth, velvety texture. Rich, dense and sumptuous, it coats the tongue with opulent mellow flavour, coffee and butterscotch with hints of walnut and candied orange peel, but with a remarkable freshness from the current of lively acidity which runs through the palate into the extraordinary long finish. A wonderfully elegant, finely constituted and beautifully matured port delivering a surge of rich flavour with every sip.

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Taylors Port Winery: Where To Go Wine Tasting In Porto

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If you drink wine, then port tasting is one of the best things you can do in Porto. After all, port wine is one of Portugals most famous exports, one that gets its name from the city of Porto.

There are many port wine cellars to choose from in Vila Nova de Gaia. I was hoping to find an established winery that didnt just offer tastings, but had a reputation for bottling great port as well.

Being such a popular activity, I wanted to avoid any tourist traps so I did my research and found Taylors Port , one of the largest and oldest port wine houses in Porto.

Founded in 1692, Taylors Port has been producing some of the best vintage port wines in Portugal for over three centuries. Clearly, this was the right place to go.

Best Tawny: Cockburn’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port

Courtesy of Wine.com

Theres no right or wrong way to age a tawny in wood barrels, but some believe 20 years achieves the best balance of flavor and structure. Theres no better bottle to prove it than this doozy from Cockburn . Known for their high standards in quality control and for owning some of the largest vineyards in Portugal, gives them an edge that cant be beat.

You can top an ice cream sundae with the aromatics in this bottle: caramel, walnuts, butterscotch, honey. Raisin and candied apricot coat the palate. This port is smooth with a light touch, but a bold flavor and a lingering nutty finish. This is the tawny to rule all tawnies.

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Best White Port: Sandeman Apitiv White Port Reserve

Courtesy of Wine.com

Sandemans been making wine since the year 1790. When youve been making wine as long as that, one would assume its because theyve been making wine the right way all along. In this case, Sandemans Apitiv White Port gets its kick from using ever-so-slightly over-ripened grapes which get fermented in steel tanks. The result is a classic port thats both traditional and exceptional.

This bottle is bursting with orange peel, apricot, raisin and balsamic notes. Nutty with a balanced structure and fine acidity, this white port has a smooth and elegant finish.

What Are The Different Kinds Of Port Wine

There are three main style classifications of port wine: vintage port, tawny port, and ruby port. In recent years, two newer styles of port have become popular: white port and rosé port.Most Ports are a blend of wines from several years, but is a blend of the highest quality wines of one vintage. These are only produced in years that the Port houses declare worthy of vintage production, on average three or four years out of every decade.Ruby Port is the freshest and least complex of , deep red in color and filled with sweet flavors of red fruits. Ruby Port is made from wine produced from a blend of red grapes, fortified and aged no more than three years to maintain its fresh flavor and brilliant color. Enjoy Ruby Port as an aperitif or after-dinner drink.Tawny Port, like , is made from a blend of , but is exposed to a controlled amount of air while being aged in wood, so that it loses redness and oxidizes to a golden-to-brown hue. Aged Tawny Port labeled by the number of years it has aged, typically from 10 to 30 but as high as 50 is generally drier than younger Ports and has rich flavors of nuts and dried fruits. This originated in , but is now produced in other winemaking regions, including and .

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Port Wine Cellars Worth Visiting

These Port wine cellars are all located across the river from the old city center of Porto and to get there you only need to cross the emblematic Dom Luís I bridge. It will take you about 10 minutes and you can easily walk from one side to the other.

Nearly all Port wine cellars provide guided tours and tastings. Not only will you receive a tasting of different Port wine varieties, but you will also learn about the history of the house you are visiting and a broader history of Port wine. There are dozens of Port wine cellars and we know one can feel a bit uncertain, so weve decided to make your life a bit easier and selected 5 Port wine cellars that we love and where you cant go wrong.