Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Port — Douro Valley, Portugal
Taylor Fladgate is widely regarded as the benchmark producer of aged Tawny Port, and their 10 Year Old Tawny is the wine that has made that reputation. Founded in 1692 and one of the last independent Port houses, Taylor’s sources fruit from their own quinta vineyards in the Douro Valley, aging the wine in small oak casks ov...Show More >
Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Port — Douro Valley, Portugal
Taylor Fladgate is widely regarded as the benchmark producer of aged Tawny Port, and their 10 Year Old Tawny is the wine that has made that reputation. Founded in 1692 and one of the last independent Port houses, Taylor’s sources fruit from their own quinta vineyards in the Douro Valley, aging the wine in small oak casks over a decade to develop the characteristic amber-tawny color, nutty complexity, and mellow richness that defines this style at its finest. Robert Parker called Taylor’s Tawnys the best of their type — more aromatic, fruitier, riper, and better balanced than the competition. The 10 Year Old is his personal favorite.
The nose is elegant and complex: sweet berries, walnut, toffee, caramel, and dried cherry, with red tea and a whisper of singed vanilla. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with a silky, mellow texture — chocolate, toffee, and dried fruit layered with subtle oak and just enough spirit backbone to keep everything honest. The finish is long, warm, and deeply satisfying. It is bottled for immediate drinking and needs no decanting.
“It is my opinion that Taylor’s tawny ports are the best of their type — more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. The Ten Year Old Tawny is a personal favorite, as well as the best bargain among these ports.” — Robert Parker, 93 pts
“Beautiful sweet berries with walnut, toffee and caramel undertones on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with medium sweetness and a chocolate and toffee aftertaste. A richer style of 10-year-old and delicious. Drink now.” — James Suckling, 93 pts
“This has a nice racy edge to the mix of slightly dried red cherry and raspberry fruit, backed by red tea and singed vanilla. Shows good tension from start to finish.” — Wine Spectator, 91 pts
“A very complete aged tawny with all the right nuts and fruit characters. The style is ripe, full and sweet, a mellow wine that only hints at the spirit behind it.” — Wine Enthusiast, 90 pts
Producer: Taylor Fladgate, Douro Valley, Portugal (est. 1692)
Best Paired With: Dark chocolate, almond tart, crème brûlée, coffee desserts, Stilton, walnuts, or on its own after dinner
The world’s benchmark 10 Year Tawny — Taylor Fladgate delivers over 330 years of Port mastery in a wine that Robert Parker calls the best bargain in aged Tawny.
