### 1971 Taylor’s Single Harvest Port

BY NEAL MARTIN | FEBRUARY 07, 2022

Although I have banged on about the 1971 vintage being fecund for stupendously good wines around the world, there are a few exceptions; one is the Douro Valley since there was no General Declaration that year. That does not imply a bad season. Sometimes it is simply a case of Port houses eschewing consecutive Declarations, and since the 1970 releases had been well-received, 1971 was never going to be declared. Instead, the Ports were used for blending, and a few pipes were tucked away, which is why Taylor’s Fladgate have just released a limited Single Harvest.

Courtesy of Taylor’s themselves, here is a bit of background information on the growing season in question. The winter preceding the 1971 harvest was slightly drier than average with around 13 inches of rain recorded at Pinhão. Spring and early summer were relatively cool and poor berry set was reported in some areas resulting in reduced yields. August was a dry month, unusual for the Douro Valley; however, there were no prolonged periods of intense heat. As a result, the grapes ripened slowly and gradually, and by the normal harvest time in mid-September, the crop was still far from mature. The vintage finally began on the 15th of October, the latest starting date since 1909. As dry conditions had continued throughout September, the grapes were generally in good shape. Winemakers’ notes report that the musts were not as intense and deeply coloured as usual but displayed attractive aromas and excellent acidity.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1644012911361-taylors+1971+single+port.jpg_copy.jpg)

Matured for five decades in cask, the **1971 Single Harvest Port** has a tawny hue that is commensurate for its age. It has quite a spirituous nose, strong scents of Chinese 5-spice, clove, wood varnish, Montecristo cigars, fresh figs and grilled walnuts, hints of rosewater with time. After 10 minutes in the glass, it develops a touch more richness and depth. The palate is well balanced with a slightly viscous opening, richer than anticipated, dried honey and clove, red peppercorns, molasses and a touch of Sichuan pepper. With fine length and quite a sensual style, this is a fairly opulent Single Harvest Port that will give immense pleasure. **95** /Drink 2022-2040.

_© 2022, 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._



Cellar Favorite: 1971 Taylor’s Single Harvest Port

Cellar Favorite: 1971 Taylor’s Single Harvest Port (Feb 2022)

ConstantScore(-article_id:{312 381 422 466 735 1092 1114 1146 1208 1209 1210 1231 1235 1241 1242 1245 1249 1258 1261 1276 1283 1298 1302 1312 1321 1325 1338 1601 1734 1980 1998 2164 2193 2198 2268 2425 2529 2566 2825 2994 3120 3140 3371 3977 4341} #producer.id:27778 #article_id:[3251 TO 3251])

DocValuesFieldExistsQuery [field=_primary_term]

Taylor’s

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social