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2018 Taylor Fladgate - Vintage Port HALF BOTTLE (375ml)
Taylor Fladgate
SKU 87912

2018 Taylor Fladgate - Vintage Port HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

$59.99 - $59.99
$59.99
$59.99 - $59.99
$59.99
Availability:
28 available

Bottled unfiltered after two years in wooden vats, this 375 ml half bottle of Taylor Fladgate 2018 Vintage Port delivers the concentrated Douro structure and extended aging ceiling of a back-to-back declared vintage without requiring a full bottle commitment.

Predominantly sourced from Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita, the 2018 harvest followed a growth cycle that ran three weeks behind seasonal norms before an August heat wave. Groundwater reserves maintained steady vine hydration through hand-picking. Traditional granite lagare foot treading extracted deep color and phenolic mass before fermentation halted with grape spirit addition. The resulting wine shows a nearly opaque black core and a narrow purple rim, engineered to improve steadily over multiple decades.

Nose notes anchor on dense black fruit interwoven with melted tar, black clove, and cracked white pepper. Palate movement carries precision and balance, driven by fine-grained tannins and bright acidity that stretch into a polished finish. This third consecutive declared vintage from the independent Yeatman and Fladgate leadership confirms reliable agricultural execution and cellar-grade architecture.

Serve between 55°F and 60°F in a straight-sided port glass to contain fortification aromatics and preserve the structural balance. Decant carefully to separate native lees that accumulate once the unfiltered wine enters secondary bottle aging. Pair modest pours with dark chocolate desserts, allowing the wine’s vivid acidity and firm tannic grip to cut through roasted cocoa bitterness and enrich residual sweetness.

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: 375ml
Producer: Taylor Fladgate
Taylor Fladgate

Bottled unfiltered after two years in wooden vats, this 375 ml half bottle of Taylor Fladgate 2018 Vintage Port delivers the concentrated Douro structure and extended aging ceiling of a back-to-back declared vintage without requiring a full bottle commitment.

Predominantly sourced from Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita, the 2018 harvest followed a growth cycle that ran three weeks behind seasonal norms before an August heat wave. Groundwater reserves maintained steady vine hydration through hand-picking. Traditional granite lagare foot treading extracted deep color and phenolic mass before fermentation halted with grape spirit addition. The resulting wine shows a nearly opaque black core and a narrow purple rim, engineered to improve steadily over multiple decades.

Nose notes anchor on dense black fruit interwoven with melted tar, black clove, and cracked white pepper. Palate movement carries precision and balance, driven by fine-grained tannins and bright acidity that stretch into a polished finish. This third consecutive declared vintage from the independent Yeatman and Fladgate leadership confirms reliable agricultural execution and cellar-grade architecture.

Serve between 55°F and 60°F in a straight-sided port glass to contain fortification aromatics and preserve the structural balance. Decant carefully to separate native lees that accumulate once the unfiltered wine enters secondary bottle aging. Pair modest pours with dark chocolate desserts, allowing the wine’s vivid acidity and firm tannic grip to cut through roasted cocoa bitterness and enrich residual sweetness.

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: 375ml
Producer: Taylor Fladgate