Wine Reviews

Singed black sesame, hazelnut, buckwheat, dried blood orange and walnut husk notes merge, starting dry but unfolding steadily to offer succulence and underlying sweetness as date, peanut brittle and salted caramel accents fill in through the finish. A fully mature wine, with ample energy and persistence, which makes this pretty special.

Fresh and vibrant, with expressive notes of violet, anise and boysenberry compote leading the way, backed by hints of singed cocoa and alder through the finish. Filled in, but of a slightly lighter frame and build than most of its brethren this vintage, putting this on an earlier maturing arc.

Taylor Fladgate is selling a 1976 Very Old Single Harvest Tawny Port, which is a Tawny from a single harvest, in the category known as Colheita. It was aged for a long time in oak casks, from the harvest until bottling, and slowly oxidized through the decades, almost half a century, in the cellars of Vilanova de Gaia. It has a deep amber color and a powerful and nuanced nose, with notes of brandy and hints of an Oloroso Sherry. It’s silky and has great balance between sweetness and acidity (including volatile acidity, which always plays a role in these very old wines), and it’s elegant, long and persistent. It has 20% alcohol, 5.8 grams of acidity and 139 grams of sugar, reflecting concentration from evaporation and old age but brilliantly balanced. 5,000 bottles produced. The back label mentions it was bottled in 2025.

If the bottle of 10-year-old Tawny was odd, then the NV 20-Year-Old Tawny Port is hitting it on all cylinders. It is open, expressive, aromatic and nuanced, with clarity and precision. The back label didn’t show the bottling year, but I suspect it must have been quite recent. This wine is made from different harvests blended with an average of 20 years of aging in oak casks. It has 20% alcohol and 120 grams of residual sugar, reflecting the slightly sweeter style that is typical of Taylor’s.

Aromas of schist, violets and ripe blackberries, with an absorbing nose layered in dark fruit. The palate is structured, with grainy but long and integrated tannins, yet remains vibrant and energetic with a clear thread of black fruit. There is a youthful yet discreet lift, both aromatically and on the palate, that makes it immediately appealing, yet it has the structure and depth to reward patience. Drink now.