Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny Port (Coronation of King Charles III
Limited Bottling)BY NEAL MARTIN | MAY 15, 2023The Coronation of King Charles III inevitably
was the perfect excuse for many English sparkling wine producers to mark the
occasion with limited edition cuvées, likewise, Port Houses that have deep
English roots. One that I recently tasted was from Taylor’s Fladgate, who
raided some of their oldest reserves to blend a limited run of 1,500 bottles of
what they have called their Very Very Old Tawny Port.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1684160604989-very+very+old+tawny_copy.jpeg">I was sent a sample and naturally tasted it as our
monarch was being handed his orb and scepter. It has quite a punchy bouquet, a
little nuttier and smokier than expected, with Montecristo cigars mixed with sweeter
scents of nougat and vanilla pod. The sweetness comes through more on the
palate than the nose. It’s very well balanced and clearly blended to be drunk
now instead of being cellared like nearly all tawny Ports. Molasses, grilled hazelnuts
with a pinch of cracked black pepper appear toward the finish. There is a
seductive viscosity towards the finish with just the faintest dab of dried
honey. Delightful. 94/Drink 2023-2033. © 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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