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2018 Taylor Fladgate - Vintage Port
Taylor Fladgate
SKU 87913

2018 Taylor Fladgate - Vintage Port

$109.00 - $109.00
$109.00
$109.00 - $109.00
$109.00
Availability:
Only 8 left!

The 2018 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port delivers restrained power and multi-decade ageing potential through a blend dominated by the house’s premier vineyards, Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita.

Aged approximately two years in large wooden vats before being bottled unfiltered, this bottling presents an opaque, near-black core edged with a narrow purple rim. The 2018 growing cycle featured a véraison period running three weeks behind schedule, followed by a late-summer heat wave that moisture-rich soils buffered until harvest. This progression yielded concentrated sugars while maintaining essential acidity, marking Taylor’s third consecutive vintage declaration.

Traditional foot-tread extraction paused via fortification with grape spirit to lock in phenolic structure and freshness. The opening delivers a focused aromatic profile layered with dense black fruit, smoked tar, toasted clove, and white pepper. Mid-palate finesse emerges through tightly wound tannins and vibrant acid lines, leading to a clean, elongated finish that rewards patient cellaring.

Store horizontally in a climate-controlled environment between 54°F and 58°F with minimal vibration. This wine typically requires fifteen to twenty years to fully soften its youthful architecture. Prior to service, stand the bottle upright for several days to clarify sediment, then decant gently to aerate the concentrated layers. Pour at cellar temperature alongside rich dark chocolate desserts, hard aged cheeses, or as a standalone digestif.

95 Points
"The 2018 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very old and large wooden vats. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. This is the third straight declaration (2016, 2017 and this 2018) of a classic Vintage Port for Taylor's. Of those three, this so far would be my least favorite, but it's close and time will tell. Aromatic and expressive, this adds a big bang for a finish that reminds you that it is, indeed, Taylor's. After opening it on the first day tasted, it tightened fast and showed the structure I like to see in serious Ports. It has that classic flavor profile as well and shows fine concentration. Even 48 hours later it had no problem showing off a little muscle, even though it drank decently at that point. The fruit is expressive, as noted, but it is still a bit closed just now. I am not sure this is a truly great Taylor's, but it is a very good one. In the Fladgate Partnership lineup this issue, it is probably the most complete wine. The Croft is the sexy steal with utterly delicious fruit, but Taylor's has better structure. The Fonseca has fine structure, but the fruit seems today to be a step behind the Taylor and the Croft in expressiveness. This seems likely to be the best of the Fladgate trio as the years and decades wear on, even though the Croft is the most interesting today. The price references a full bottle, although this was tasted from a half bottle."
—Mark Squires-Wine Advocate
Appellation: Vintage Port
Vintage: 2018
Variety: Port
Region: Porto
Country: Portugal
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Taylor Fladgate
Taylor Fladgate

The 2018 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port delivers restrained power and multi-decade ageing potential through a blend dominated by the house’s premier vineyards, Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita.

Aged approximately two years in large wooden vats before being bottled unfiltered, this bottling presents an opaque, near-black core edged with a narrow purple rim. The 2018 growing cycle featured a véraison period running three weeks behind schedule, followed by a late-summer heat wave that moisture-rich soils buffered until harvest. This progression yielded concentrated sugars while maintaining essential acidity, marking Taylor’s third consecutive vintage declaration.

Traditional foot-tread extraction paused via fortification with grape spirit to lock in phenolic structure and freshness. The opening delivers a focused aromatic profile layered with dense black fruit, smoked tar, toasted clove, and white pepper. Mid-palate finesse emerges through tightly wound tannins and vibrant acid lines, leading to a clean, elongated finish that rewards patient cellaring.

Store horizontally in a climate-controlled environment between 54°F and 58°F with minimal vibration. This wine typically requires fifteen to twenty years to fully soften its youthful architecture. Prior to service, stand the bottle upright for several days to clarify sediment, then decant gently to aerate the concentrated layers. Pour at cellar temperature alongside rich dark chocolate desserts, hard aged cheeses, or as a standalone digestif.

95 Points
"The 2018 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very old and large wooden vats. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. This is the third straight declaration (2016, 2017 and this 2018) of a classic Vintage Port for Taylor's. Of those three, this so far would be my least favorite, but it's close and time will tell. Aromatic and expressive, this adds a big bang for a finish that reminds you that it is, indeed, Taylor's. After opening it on the first day tasted, it tightened fast and showed the structure I like to see in serious Ports. It has that classic flavor profile as well and shows fine concentration. Even 48 hours later it had no problem showing off a little muscle, even though it drank decently at that point. The fruit is expressive, as noted, but it is still a bit closed just now. I am not sure this is a truly great Taylor's, but it is a very good one. In the Fladgate Partnership lineup this issue, it is probably the most complete wine. The Croft is the sexy steal with utterly delicious fruit, but Taylor's has better structure. The Fonseca has fine structure, but the fruit seems today to be a step behind the Taylor and the Croft in expressiveness. This seems likely to be the best of the Fladgate trio as the years and decades wear on, even though the Croft is the most interesting today. The price references a full bottle, although this was tasted from a half bottle."
—Mark Squires-Wine Advocate
Appellation: Vintage Port
Vintage: 2018
Variety: Port
Region: Porto
Country: Portugal
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Taylor Fladgate