Taylor's 2007 Vintage Port
Taylor's Vintage Port 2007
Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman was founded over three centuries ago in 1692 and has been independently owned throughout its history. The most famous of all Port houses, Taylor’s is regarded as the benchmark for Vintage Port and its declared vintages attract the highest scores and auction prices. Noted for their elegance and restrained power, their longevity and their distinctive scented character, these classic Vintage Ports are blended from the finest wines of the firm’s own ‘quintas’ or estates.
Taylor’s three famous properties – Vargellas, Terra Feita and Junco – occupy distinct geographic locations. Each contributes its own unique character and dimension to the subtle harmony of the blend. Select ‘Vineyards’ at the foot of this page to learn more.

In keeping with house tradition, the decision to declare the 2007 vintage was announced on St George’s Day, 23rd April, two years after the harvest. Commenting on the declaration, Taylor’s Managing Director Adrian Bridge noted: ‘The 2007 wines have been impressive from the start, displaying crisp, vibrant fruit and a wonderful balance. In keeping with the house style, the Taylor’s 2007 is showing great elegance, poise and a fine scented quality contributed by the wines of Quinta de Vargellas on which the blend is based.”
Taylor’s three famous properties – Vargellas, Terra Feita and Junco – occupy distinct geographic locations. Each contributes its own unique character and dimension to the subtle harmony of the blend. Select ‘Vineyards’ at the foot of this page to learn more.

In keeping with house tradition, the decision to declare the 2007 vintage was announced on St George’s Day, 23rd April, two years after the harvest. Commenting on the declaration, Taylor’s Managing Director Adrian Bridge noted: ‘The 2007 wines have been impressive from the start, displaying crisp, vibrant fruit and a wonderful balance. In keeping with the house style, the Taylor’s 2007 is showing great elegance, poise and a fine scented quality contributed by the wines of Quinta de Vargellas on which the blend is based.”

Taylors

As elsewhere in the Douro Valley, conditions on the Taylor’s estates were sunny but relatively cool for most of the summer, with occasional light rainfall. This resulted in a gradual and balanced ripening of the grapes and healthy leaf canopies showing no signs of the heat damage which can occur in hotter years. Two weeks of very warm weather at the beginning of September brought the crop to full maturity but preserved the excellent natural acidity and vibrant fruit flavours resulting from the relatively cool summer. Picking started at Quinta de Vargellas on 17th September and at Quinta de Terra Feita and Quinta do Junco on 24th September.

All the classic Port grape varieties performed well in 2007 and this contributed to the balance and multi-dimensional character of the wines. In addition, the individual character of each of the Taylor’s estates expressed itself to the full, adding a layer of complexity to the Taylor’s Vintage Port blend.

The Taylor 2007 Vintage Port is a beautifully elegant and complete wine from the most famous Vintage Port house, the perfect balance of power and refinement. As always, it is one of the most highly rated Ports of the vintage, a classic in every sense.

10,000 cases made


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TASTING NOTES
Opaque, purple black colour with a narrow violet rim. Characteristically stylish and racy, with a nose of dense blackcurrant and woodland fruit overlaid with discreet herbal nuances and scents of violet and rose petals. As usual the classic Taylor elegance and understatement conceal the wine’s energy and vigour. On the palate it displays the lean, sinewy and tightly knit tannins which are so much a feature of the Taylor style and the vibrant and clearly delineated fruit flavours and which are the hallmark of the 2007 vintage.
Accolades
Tyson Stelzer, tysonstelzer.com, June 2010
How can a wine of such monolithic proportions have such elegance, lift, poise and finesse? Laced with violets, cassis, rose petals, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and tremendous black fruits.
How can a wine of such monolithic proportions have such elegance, lift, poise and finesse? Laced with violets, cassis, rose petals, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and tremendous black fruits. Epic tannin presence and integration. Magical freshness and floral perfume, impeccable seamlessness and persistence. It’s as good as the 94, 85, 70, 35 and 24. The first drinking window I’ve ever written beyond 2100!
Score: 100
Philip White, Independent Weekly, April 2010
Nothing to do with the Clare Taylors, this is the real thing from Portugal: a little black bliss bomb that's chockers with truffles, black chocolate, black tea tannins, licorice and fudge.
Nothing to do with the Clare Taylors, this is the real thing from Portugal: a little black bliss bomb that's chockers with truffles, black chocolate, black tea tannins, licorice and fudge. In this, its extreme fancy, it has a rather disarming, slightly granular, quincy texture in the tannin department. There is a brilliant lash of fiery spirit in the tail, and the whole gadget leaves the drinker feeling slightly assaulted as much as thoroughly seduced, and it's more than simply having one's hair mussed. It needs 25 years to relax, but is a scrunchy, exciting challenge right now. Who knows how good it'll get?
Score: 92+++
Anthony Gismondi, Wine Access Magazine, November 2009
The Taylor Fladgate 2007 is one to lay down for your grandchildren. This is rich, inky port with huge concentration.
The Taylor Fladgate 2007 is one to lay down for your grandchildren. This is rich, inky port with huge concentration. There is plenty of tannin in a full, fresh and juicy palate packed with black cherry, blackberry, licorice, plum and chocolate flavours. The finish is long, elegant and silky with great acidity and freshness. Less is more here and all will be revealed in decades down the road. Delicious now, but will live for 50 years easily.
Neal Martin, www.erobertparker.com, May 2009
“Remarkably deep in colour, almost to the verge of being opaque.”
“Remarkably deep in colour, almost to the verge of being opaque. The nose is very well defined but much more introverted than Fonseca – aloof, stentorian, correct. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully defined, great weight that is channelled in one direction. Brilliant focus here, less extrovert than Fonseca of course but more refined and sophisticated. Certainly this is a Taylors for long-term ageing, one can feel it reserving its energy for 20-years down the line. Great backbone here. Very harmonious towards the finish that really caresses the palate, with a hint of white pepper lingering in the mouth. Wonderful.”
Score 97
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, May 2009
“A classic baby Vintage Port nose of blackberry...”
“A classic baby Vintage Port nose of blackberry, currant and a little bit of green lemon leaf. Full-bodied and medium sweet. There's a solid core of ripe fruit and powerful tannins, with grip. The real deal”
Score 94-97
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