1963 Taylor-Fladgate Averys Bristol Bottling

Taylor Fladgate is one of the Douro Valley’s most venerable Port producers, having purchased real estate there in the late 17th century. By the early 18th century the company was known as Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman, still its corporate name, and today it remains owned by descendants of the founders. Many consider Taylor-Fladgate the king of Ports, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has called it “the Chateau Latour of Vintage Ports.” The producer has nearly 450 acres of vineyards planted in the traditional Port grapes of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela and others. The average age of the vines is 40 years. About 20,000 cases of Vintage Port are produced each year. Taylor-Fladgate also now owns Fonseca, Croft and Delaforce.

Douro is Portugal’s most prestigious appellation, thanks to the fact that the country’s famous Port wines have always come from the Douro. Douro, the appellation, is named for the Douro River which runs through northern Portugal. The region is mountainous and rocky, with very poor soil and harsh weather conditions because of proximity to the Atlantic. Nevertheless, vineyards have always existed there on terraced parcels of land surrounded by walls to protect the vines from wind. Most of the famous Port makers have quintas, or estates, in this region. In recent decades the Douro has developed a reputation for table wines as well as Ports, and today there are two sub-appellations within the Douro, one for table wines and one for Port. Numerous grapes are allowed within the Douro, but the main red grapes grown are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo.) The main white grapes are Esgana Cao, Folgosado and Verdelho. Besides the historic connection to Port wines – which were highly coveted in England and other parts of Europe as early as the 17th century – the region is also home to Portugal’s best table wines, including Barca Velha.