Taylor Vintage Port 1970

Wine information: Taylor’s finest and rarest wine, the very pinnacle of port. Only in a year when everything is perfect does Taylor's ‘declare’ a vintage. With the company’s reputation at stake, ‘declaring’ is not taken lightly, since it invites a knowledgeable and worldwide audience to judge whether perfection has indeed been achieved. The ultimate collector’s wines, Taylor's Vintage Ports will last for fifty years or more. They are renowned for their massive structure, concentration of flavor and distinctive ‘masculine’ style. Bottled after two years in wood, they continue to mature for decades in the cellar, slowly attaining the sublime elegance and power which are the hallmarks of the Taylor's style. "Taylor decanted this and we did not get to drinking it for 5 hours afterwards. This particular bottle was used for a youtube.com video demonstration I did on the use of Port tongs and what more appropriate bottling than this? Due to the short decant time, I saved about six ounces in an open decanter in my refrigerator overnight, to get one final impression on Memorial Day. A cherry red color with some bricking on the edge provides a glimpse into the nearly 40 year old Port. However, this drinks more like a 1983 VP in terms of age and there’s no reason to rush to drink these now, as it’s still on the upswing.  Significant essence of a spirituous character, heavily leaning towards the red berry spectrum with strawberry and Kirsch dominating the nose, once past the alcohol, which did not decrease the second day although it added a gentle wave of caramel. Full, smooth and bold, the ’70 Taylor delivers lots of love with a round, unctuous palate pleasing swirl around my mouth. There is plenty to enjoy here with the early onset of secondary nuances which appear along with dark cherry flavors and licorice before a bit of heat hits the aftertaste. My wife agreed with one friend who said, “there’s a cool root beer finish.” Drink anytime during the next two decades as this has plenty of upside potential.  I did not notice a distinct change in character the second day although there was definitely even more heft on the palate." 95+ Roy Hersch, For The Love of Port, 2008.

 
     

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