Port
Welcome to the exquisite world of port wine, a captivating elixir that has stood the test of time and captivated connoisseurs with its rich flavors, velvety textures, and impeccable craftsmanship.
One of the most iconic names in the world of port wine is Taylor's. With a heritage dating back to 1692, Taylor's has consistently produced exceptional ports known for their remarkable aging potential and finesse. From their iconic Vintage Ports, which showcase the best grapes from exceptional years, to their rich and luscious Tawny Ports aged in oak casks, Taylor's continues to set the standard for excellence in port wine production.
Venturing to the house of Graham's, we encounter a legacy that spans over two centuries. Known for their remarkable Vintage Ports, Graham's consistently delivers wines of depth and complexity. From their opulent and full-bodied Malvedos Vintage to the sublime and silky Six Grapes Reserve, Graham's captures the essence of the Douro Valley, where the grapes are grown.
Another esteemed producer is Dow's, renowned for its rich and powerful ports. With a history dating back to 1798, Dow's has earned a reputation for producing wines of exceptional quality and longevity. Their Vintage Ports, with their intense fruit flavors and firm tannins, are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Among the distinguished producers, Fonseca stands out for its finesse and elegance. Established in 1815, Fonseca specializes in producing Vintage Ports that balance richness and complexity. Their wines exhibit a perfect harmony of fruit, tannins, and acidity, resulting in extraordinary longevity and an unforgettable tasting experience.
These illustrious producers represent just a fraction of the extraordinary port wine brands available to the discerning connoisseur. Each house cherishes age-old traditions, employing meticulous techniques in vineyard management, grape selection, and aging to craft ports of unrivaled quality.
Port
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Douro | 1 | 96 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£375.49 |
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Decanter (96)Made only in top years from the best lots, like all Noval's reds this is fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak - in this case for 10 months in 35% new oak. Signature orange blossom riffs make for a delicate interplay of fruit and flower. A plume of fine, schistous tannins and bright acidity gently but persuasively anchor and extend its inky, perfumed black berry and plum fruits, with hints of bergamot, milk chocolate, clove, cedar and cinnamon. Very fine and such a great example of the variety, and nearly half the price of the Reserva! |
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Porto | 1 | 99 (MS) |
Inc. VAT
£3,005.38 |
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Mark Squires (99)This old wine was acquired by Quinta do Vallado and said to be an 1866 Colheita (although Francisco Spratley Ferreira of the winery tells me he can't honestly say for sure if it is a true single-vintage Colheita, which is why it is marketed just as "Tributa"), pre-phylloxera vines. It was bottled for Antonia Adelaide Ferreira's 200th anniversary--a woman who built a lot of Douro and was the ancestor of Vallado's owners. Francisco told me (with some typos corrected) that "we think it is a true colheita, but it's impossible to be sure... We bought this wine and the owner said to me that [he] never touched ... this wine last 50 years! We believe that with this concentration and baume (13,5), this is really very old and wasn't "refrescado" (add young wines to fill the barrel).... At same time it' s amazing the acidity, especially thinking in this baume! The wine only was bottled last weeks!" I've run into my share of really old Ports recently--1863 Niepoort, Sequeira, the NV Wine and Soul "5G"--all were exceptional and all were very different. This would be my winner of that group. If you are really loaded, keep reading. Very dark in color and far thicker than the 5g (although not, perhaps, as vibrant), this is remarkably thick and viscous--there seems to be no question that it is old and concentrated. It is very complex, too. Laced with molasses and dark chocolate, and a touch of charcoal, it is enlivened by a big hit of acidity. The texture is quite caressing and sexy. Its age shows mostly in its thick demeanor. It reminds me of some century old Moscatels I've had in Southern Portugal. It is remarkably sweet and fresh in most other respects. It is a wonderful experience. There is bad news. You could predict this, huh? There were 1,300 bottles produced--and they are coming in special decanters running around $3,000 per 750ml bottle. (No, I didn't get one of those bottles, but I did get a sample taste!) |
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Porto | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£364.27 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The 2016 Vintage Port is a blend of 43% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca and 17% Alicante Bouschet, with Tinta Amarela and Sousão filling out the rest. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar. If this Quinta has a hallmark to me, it is the expressive, gorgeous fruit. It has a seductive feel, but it is also muscular and intense. It is one of the most muscular in the Symington stable this year, with the concentration to soak up the power. I'd give this the nod for the moment over the 2015, but they are pretty close, granting that I do not have them side by side. They may wind up in more or less the same place overall in the long run. We'll see. That said, this seems superb. Bottled in May 2018 and to be released in October 2018, there were 1,220 cases produced. |
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Porto | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£943.79 |
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Wine Advocate (98)Among the most saturated blue/purple/black-colored examples of the vintage, Taylor's 2000 tastes like a young vintage of Chateau Latour on steroids. Aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis and smoke jump from the glass. Spectacularly concentrated and enormously endowed, with sweetness allied to ripe tannin, decent acidity, and layer upon layer of fruit and extract, this is the leading candidate for the port of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040. |
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Porto | 1 | 97 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£507.90 |
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Wine Enthusiast (97)Inky purple in color, this youngest Taylor vintage Port boasts a floral, wonderfully open and appealing bouquet, backed by layers of rich fruit. What makes this wine extra special is the seductive texture—somewhere between creamy and syrupy—and ample length. Hold. |
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Porto | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£284.70 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Now with a couple years in bottle, I am erring to the Taylor’s over the Fonseca (although these can always change!) The Taylor’s show more delineation and refinement with pure black currant, cassis, pencil box, hints of marzipan and a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and sumptuous with super-fine tannins, very pure blackberry and boysenberry notes interlaced with cedar, dried fig and a touch of black pepper on the beautifully refined finish. Excellent. |
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Porto | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£367.50 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)This wine was placed immediately after the super-opulent Fonseca in the BFT tasting which may have been a mistake. This is restrained. Well mannered, discreet, keeps its powder very dry. But on the palate it opens out in the most superb, burgundian peacock's tail sort of way. Another wonderful wine from The Fladgate Partnership. Utterly different from the Fonseca. Upright and straight backed. But irreproachable. My gums are virtually impervious to sugar and acid but this wine set them vibrating a bit. Dried prunes ground up with rocks. |
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Porto | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£543.07 |
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James Suckling (100)OMG. This is really the most amazing young Taylor's I have ever tasted. Full-bodied and lightly sweet with super power and intensity. So racy and focused. Yet this has such muscle and intensity. Needs at least eight years to show you everything it has to offer. Drink in 2025. |
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Porto | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£267.07 |
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James Suckling (100)OMG. This is really the most amazing young Taylor's I have ever tasted. Full-bodied and lightly sweet with super power and intensity. So racy and focused. Yet this has such muscle and intensity. Needs at least eight years to show you everything it has to offer. Drink in 2025. |
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Porto | 1 | 99.0 |
Inc. VAT
£468.67 |
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Porto | 1 | 99.0 |
Inc. VAT
£309.07 |
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Porto | 2 | 97+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£522.14 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2011 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a typical field blend aged in used French oak vats. It comes in with 105 grams per liter of residual sugar. The youngest, fleshiest and fullest (perhaps because it is the youngest) of this vertical except for the unbottled 2017, this is also one of the most delicious. The fruit is so delectable that, at first, you don't notice how much pure power it has. Then, it's gorgeously textured, precise, focused and penetrating. |
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Porto | 2 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£436.94 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2017 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a field blend of typical grapes (like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca) aged for 20 months in French wood. It comes in with 105 grams of residual sugar. When last seen, this was only a tank sample. A darker flavor profile than the regular Taylor's, more leaning to plums and blackberries, this shows all that great Taylor's fruit and welds it to a serious backbone. The regular Taylor's seems a bit brighter, while this seems a bit sterner and richer, but at this point in their very young lives, I am not sure there is a lot to choose from qualitatively. That may change, in favor of this, I think, as they go further into their very long lives. Today, there isn't much to separate them except style and price. I'd take this, both for the style and the upside potential, but the price spike is certainly worth noting for many, while the qualitative difference is nominal. |
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Porto | 1 | 17.5 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£345.90 |
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)Blackish crimson with medium rim. Heady and ripe on the nose. Subtle and savoury. Satin-smooth palate entry and a very dry end but really exciting and herbal in the middle. Very much in the Taylor's idiom. Neat and ambitious. |
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Porto | 1 | 86 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,080.00 |
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Wine Advocate (86)This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The1975 is soft, supple and clearly mature. |
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Porto | 1 | 98 |
Inc. VAT
£309.07 |
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Porto | 2 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£310.27 |
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Vinous (92)Deep ruby. Vibrant, expressive aromas and flavors of kirsch, dark chocolate and flowers. Very dense, fat and sweet, with excellent inner-mouth energy leavening the impression of lushness. Finishes long and sweetly tannic, with a bit of brandy to be absorbed. This has the density and tannic clout for a graceful evolution in bottle. |
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Porto | 4 | 93-95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£366.67 |
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Wine Advocate (93-95)The Warre’s Vintage was picked beginning on September 18 at Quinta da Cavindha, with fruit also sourced from Quinta do Retiro and Quinta da Telhada. It is a blend of 37% Touriga Nacional, 23% Tinta Franca and 40% mixture of old vines. There is a lovely sea spray note on the 2011 Warre’s that emerges after ten minutes in the glass. It is nicely defined with a tangible mineral component. The palate is very well-balanced with fine tannins, very well-judged acidity and a languorous feel, as if everything is in place and it does not want to show off. This is a lovely, refined 2011 – one of the most elegant 2011s. This is a classic Warre’s. 3,000 cases declared. Tasted May 2013. |
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Porto | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£375.07 |
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James Suckling (96)Very complex with dried flowers and roses. Full-bodied, very layered and tightly wound. Chewy and powerful. Firm and off-dry. Needs five or six years to soften. Beauty. Try in 2024. |
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Porto | 3 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£367.87 |
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James Suckling (96)Very complex with dried flowers and roses. Full-bodied, very layered and tightly wound. Chewy and powerful. Firm and off-dry. Needs five or six years to soften. Beauty. Try in 2024. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Douro | 1 | 96 (DC) |
In Bond
£295.00 |
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Decanter (96)Made only in top years from the best lots, like all Noval's reds this is fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak - in this case for 10 months in 35% new oak. Signature orange blossom riffs make for a delicate interplay of fruit and flower. A plume of fine, schistous tannins and bright acidity gently but persuasively anchor and extend its inky, perfumed black berry and plum fruits, with hints of bergamot, milk chocolate, clove, cedar and cinnamon. Very fine and such a great example of the variety, and nearly half the price of the Reserva! |
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Porto | 1 | 99 (MS) |
In Bond
£2,500.00 |
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Mark Squires (99)This old wine was acquired by Quinta do Vallado and said to be an 1866 Colheita (although Francisco Spratley Ferreira of the winery tells me he can't honestly say for sure if it is a true single-vintage Colheita, which is why it is marketed just as "Tributa"), pre-phylloxera vines. It was bottled for Antonia Adelaide Ferreira's 200th anniversary--a woman who built a lot of Douro and was the ancestor of Vallado's owners. Francisco told me (with some typos corrected) that "we think it is a true colheita, but it's impossible to be sure... We bought this wine and the owner said to me that [he] never touched ... this wine last 50 years! We believe that with this concentration and baume (13,5), this is really very old and wasn't "refrescado" (add young wines to fill the barrel).... At same time it' s amazing the acidity, especially thinking in this baume! The wine only was bottled last weeks!" I've run into my share of really old Ports recently--1863 Niepoort, Sequeira, the NV Wine and Soul "5G"--all were exceptional and all were very different. This would be my winner of that group. If you are really loaded, keep reading. Very dark in color and far thicker than the 5g (although not, perhaps, as vibrant), this is remarkably thick and viscous--there seems to be no question that it is old and concentrated. It is very complex, too. Laced with molasses and dark chocolate, and a touch of charcoal, it is enlivened by a big hit of acidity. The texture is quite caressing and sexy. Its age shows mostly in its thick demeanor. It reminds me of some century old Moscatels I've had in Southern Portugal. It is remarkably sweet and fresh in most other respects. It is a wonderful experience. There is bad news. You could predict this, huh? There were 1,300 bottles produced--and they are coming in special decanters running around $3,000 per 750ml bottle. (No, I didn't get one of those bottles, but I did get a sample taste!) |
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Porto | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£276.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The 2016 Vintage Port is a blend of 43% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca and 17% Alicante Bouschet, with Tinta Amarela and Sousão filling out the rest. It comes in with 115 grams of residual sugar. If this Quinta has a hallmark to me, it is the expressive, gorgeous fruit. It has a seductive feel, but it is also muscular and intense. It is one of the most muscular in the Symington stable this year, with the concentration to soak up the power. I'd give this the nod for the moment over the 2015, but they are pretty close, granting that I do not have them side by side. They may wind up in more or less the same place overall in the long run. We'll see. That said, this seems superb. Bottled in May 2018 and to be released in October 2018, there were 1,220 cases produced. |
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Porto | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£730.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)Among the most saturated blue/purple/black-colored examples of the vintage, Taylor's 2000 tastes like a young vintage of Chateau Latour on steroids. Aromas of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis and smoke jump from the glass. Spectacularly concentrated and enormously endowed, with sweetness allied to ripe tannin, decent acidity, and layer upon layer of fruit and extract, this is the leading candidate for the port of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040. |
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Porto | 1 | 97 (WE) |
In Bond
£395.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (97)Inky purple in color, this youngest Taylor vintage Port boasts a floral, wonderfully open and appealing bouquet, backed by layers of rich fruit. What makes this wine extra special is the seductive texture—somewhere between creamy and syrupy—and ample length. Hold. |
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Porto | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£209.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Now with a couple years in bottle, I am erring to the Taylor’s over the Fonseca (although these can always change!) The Taylor’s show more delineation and refinement with pure black currant, cassis, pencil box, hints of marzipan and a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and sumptuous with super-fine tannins, very pure blackberry and boysenberry notes interlaced with cedar, dried fig and a touch of black pepper on the beautifully refined finish. Excellent. |
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Porto | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
In Bond
£278.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)This wine was placed immediately after the super-opulent Fonseca in the BFT tasting which may have been a mistake. This is restrained. Well mannered, discreet, keeps its powder very dry. But on the palate it opens out in the most superb, burgundian peacock's tail sort of way. Another wonderful wine from The Fladgate Partnership. Utterly different from the Fonseca. Upright and straight backed. But irreproachable. My gums are virtually impervious to sugar and acid but this wine set them vibrating a bit. Dried prunes ground up with rocks. |
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Porto | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£425.00 |
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James Suckling (100)OMG. This is really the most amazing young Taylor's I have ever tasted. Full-bodied and lightly sweet with super power and intensity. So racy and focused. Yet this has such muscle and intensity. Needs at least eight years to show you everything it has to offer. Drink in 2025. |
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Porto | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£195.00 |
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James Suckling (100)OMG. This is really the most amazing young Taylor's I have ever tasted. Full-bodied and lightly sweet with super power and intensity. So racy and focused. Yet this has such muscle and intensity. Needs at least eight years to show you everything it has to offer. Drink in 2025. |
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Porto | 1 | 99.0 |
In Bond
£363.00 |
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Porto | 1 | 99.0 |
In Bond
£230.00 |
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Porto | 2 | 97+ (WA) |
In Bond
£421.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2011 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a typical field blend aged in used French oak vats. It comes in with 105 grams per liter of residual sugar. The youngest, fleshiest and fullest (perhaps because it is the youngest) of this vertical except for the unbottled 2017, this is also one of the most delicious. The fruit is so delectable that, at first, you don't notice how much pure power it has. Then, it's gorgeously textured, precise, focused and penetrating. |
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Porto | 2 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£350.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2017 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a field blend of typical grapes (like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca) aged for 20 months in French wood. It comes in with 105 grams of residual sugar. When last seen, this was only a tank sample. A darker flavor profile than the regular Taylor's, more leaning to plums and blackberries, this shows all that great Taylor's fruit and welds it to a serious backbone. The regular Taylor's seems a bit brighter, while this seems a bit sterner and richer, but at this point in their very young lives, I am not sure there is a lot to choose from qualitatively. That may change, in favor of this, I think, as they go further into their very long lives. Today, there isn't much to separate them except style and price. I'd take this, both for the style and the upside potential, but the price spike is certainly worth noting for many, while the qualitative difference is nominal. |
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Porto | 1 | 17.5 (JR) |
In Bond
£260.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)Blackish crimson with medium rim. Heady and ripe on the nose. Subtle and savoury. Satin-smooth palate entry and a very dry end but really exciting and herbal in the middle. Very much in the Taylor's idiom. Neat and ambitious. |
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|
|
Porto | 1 | 86 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,080.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (86)This house makes rather restrained yet rich, flavorful vintage port and a very good tawny called Nimrod. Their vintage ports seem slow to develop, and while they never quite have the voluptuous richness of a Dow, Graham, or Fonseca, they have a unique mineral-scented character that gives them their own complexity and style. The1975 is soft, supple and clearly mature. |
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Porto | 1 | 98 |
In Bond
£230.00 |
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Porto | 2 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£231.00 |
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Vinous (92)Deep ruby. Vibrant, expressive aromas and flavors of kirsch, dark chocolate and flowers. Very dense, fat and sweet, with excellent inner-mouth energy leavening the impression of lushness. Finishes long and sweetly tannic, with a bit of brandy to be absorbed. This has the density and tannic clout for a graceful evolution in bottle. |
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Porto | 4 | 93-95 (WA) |
In Bond
£278.00 |
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Wine Advocate (93-95)The Warre’s Vintage was picked beginning on September 18 at Quinta da Cavindha, with fruit also sourced from Quinta do Retiro and Quinta da Telhada. It is a blend of 37% Touriga Nacional, 23% Tinta Franca and 40% mixture of old vines. There is a lovely sea spray note on the 2011 Warre’s that emerges after ten minutes in the glass. It is nicely defined with a tangible mineral component. The palate is very well-balanced with fine tannins, very well-judged acidity and a languorous feel, as if everything is in place and it does not want to show off. This is a lovely, refined 2011 – one of the most elegant 2011s. This is a classic Warre’s. 3,000 cases declared. Tasted May 2013. |
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Porto | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£285.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Very complex with dried flowers and roses. Full-bodied, very layered and tightly wound. Chewy and powerful. Firm and off-dry. Needs five or six years to soften. Beauty. Try in 2024. |
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Porto | 3 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£279.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Very complex with dried flowers and roses. Full-bodied, very layered and tightly wound. Chewy and powerful. Firm and off-dry. Needs five or six years to soften. Beauty. Try in 2024. |
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