Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Tasting

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Tasting – Episode #717

August 10, 2009

Gary Vaynerchuk gets lucky enough to taste through 3 vintages of Taylor Fladgate and gives his thoughts on where these wines are TODAY.

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Comments on this episode(202) Leave a comment ›

“QotD: Love Port… can’t turn it down if it’s available….” by Ryan D
“Gary,
Amazing Port! I have not tried the 1994 but I recently tried…” by WilliamCharlesStanton
View all 202 ›

Wines tasted in this episode:

1977 Taylor Fladgate Vintage PortVintage Port
1994 Taylor Fladgate Vintage PortVintage Port
2005 Taylor Quinta De VargellesVintage Port

Cheese mentioned in todays episode.

Roaring Fourties Blue King Island Dairy

If you’d like additional help with the above item or would just like to know a little bit more, please email Justin Novello ( justin@winelibrary.com ).

Links mentioned in todays episode.

The “Crush It!” announcement page

202 Responses

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October 16, 2009

Ryan D
QotD: Love Port… can’t turn it down if it’s available.
September 19, 2009

WilliamCharlesStanton
Gary,

Amazing Port! I have not tried the 1994 but I recently tried and (now own a case of) 2003 LateVintage Taylor.

Comparing flavors, I would say that the 2003 is almost exactly as you described the 1994. (weaker tannins in the 2003 I would say) — a VERY AMAZING NOSE… and I catch some Black Licorice/blackberries on the palate… as well…

Best of luck – Love The Show!
William C Stanton
August 30, 2009

Norberto Marinho
Hey Gary, probably you’ve already try it but I leave the suggestion just in case.
If you’re looking for a great food pairing try Port with dark chocolate; the bitterness of the high cocoa content harmoniously blends with the Port sweetness. Enjoy the tasting! By the way any plans to visit PT soon? Cheers, Norberto.
August 24, 2009

Traveling Bob
Gary,

Lurker…….have watched a majority of the shows.

Travel 300 days a year off shore. Majority last 5 years in South America and this year India, Morrocco, Turkey, Russia….. Save your episodes for the LONG plane rides. God save me from BAD WINE and do I miss Chile/Argentinia wine and the best food in Peru.

You forced me to buy some PORT.
August 22, 2009

wyld
Never tried Port… i dont think, but i know i should.

Maybe this…. fall.

Oh, but it is interesting to learn about Port and it’s history.
August 22, 2009

Alos
Excellent episode I don’t know much about it, but am excited to dive in. Cheers my friend
August 21, 2009

wednesday
Great show, Gary. The Ruby ports have a bit too much alcohol for me so I’ll check into the vintage side for a bit smoother beverage.
August 21, 2009

Bobo36
Great show and I cannot believe you did this show w/o me! Getting into Port season soon. I didn’t catch how long you let this wine breathe before drinking? Though I’m not much of a decanter before you drink fan, I would say here that 1 or 2 hours out of the bottle & your scores would go up by 5.
Also, you know when you will be drinking port, so you have time to let it open up.
Lastly, lets look at WS and WA scores on the ‘77, 98 and 96. For the ‘94, 100 and 97. TF ‘00 at 95 and 98 TF ‘03 at 94 and 98. These last two offer great value due to both being below $100. Also, I believe Parker (WA) has a better hold on the Port subject as well as expert Roy Hersh. i’d go with their ratings.
August 20, 2009

ian k
Love Port – Best ever (honestly one o the only was, a Dow’s 1997 late bottled…. it was a gift at the hotel we stayed at…….. really nice.

Really enjoying the nerd factor…. keep it up.
August 20, 2009

Andrew D
Thanks Gary

QOTD: Port all over it, love the stuff and it cvertainly still has a place in my cellar, though in Australia I tend to by Australian fortifieds, just because they offer such awesome calue.

Cheers
Andrew
August 18, 2009

Aurelio
Just a short comment as not to lurk… FANTASTIC episode. Thoughtful and provoking.

Thank you for another great effort.

Aurelio
August 17, 2009

pawncop
Been gone on vacaton.

Love Port, really enjoy the 1986 Colheita. I have been recommended the Taylor 10 year tawny and an excellent QPR.
August 15, 2009

Weston
Qtod: Since Im not the biggest fan of sweet wines, tho a good sweet wine is a good sweet wine. Maybe its the fact that grandma drinks port/sherry. But this vintage stuff with blue cheese I could do, because I could live on Cheese, Fresh Bread and Wine, and a scooter or maybe a Citron/Pugeot?
August 15, 2009

rowland
hey i love Mott getting on the Crush IT theme…

lol i like how your all talking about getting people to pay attention to port while trailing off and picking cork out of your glass …

your knee will be fine gary, my dad just had both of his replaced, and if you do the rehab, you will be fine. just do the rehab.

Gary how come you dont put port into the dessert wine catagory? isnt it? shouldnt it be subject to the same rateing skew as other desert wines like late harvest and ice wines? its sweet as hell so …

dam yo, you just did a $400 internet show.

qotd: besides the above comments, i think the few ports ive tasted have been way to sweet, to high in alcahol, and tasted a bit to much like rasins … ill keep trying it though.
August 15, 2009

RodneyStrong09
Port, guess I will have to try it again with some fancy bleu cheese. The only times I have tried it in the past is when it came as a part of “turn down” service at a hotel or Bed and Breakfast. Always seemed quite heavy and viscous to be drinking at bedtime.
August 15, 2009

Bill
another great show

qotd: port + rouqufort = one of the great gastronomical pleasures in life.
August 14, 2009

ktf
Always finish our groups tasting with Port and Blue Cheese.
August 14, 2009

YoungDave
QOTD: PORT! One of my first restaurant jobs was a dessert-centric restaurant in Boston called Finale. This is when I first took an interest in wine and started to study this stuff like crazy. Since we served constructed-to-order plated desserts, the wine list consisted of about 15 Ports by the glass, a few Madeira, and a boatload of late harvest wines, ice wines, and Sautern-esque botrotized wines. SO, since I wasn’t even 21 yet, PORT has a special place in my history with wine education and enjoyment because it was actually the first segment that I started to explore… then I worked backwards into the dryer stuff.
August 14, 2009

Steve
Interesting episode. I’m sure the cheese was great but my preferred pairing is: great port + Arturo Fuente Opus X + complete strangers = great new best friends
August 13, 2009

Jeff R
Gary – You mentioned in the beginning discussion about the two types of glasses you utilized, although it never came up again. That would have been interesting to have the three wines, in both glasses, and discuss your comments.

QTD – My take – good fall/winter evening sipper in these parts of Ohio. Can pair well with the winter cheese board, nuts/dried fruits, etc. Reliable to stay with one of the venerable port houses – Taylor, Quinta de Noval, Dows, Graham’s, etc.

Sorry to hear about the knee.
August 13, 2009

*/^_^\*
qotd: one of the varieties that is criminally underappreciated by myself, along with other wines from portugal….
August 12, 2009

Dennis
At the beginning of the Taylor Fladgate episode you alluded to a discussion regarding Riedel port glassware vs the chardonay glass you nave been using as a substitute. I have some Riedel port glasses and truly cannot tell much of a difference between them and any other similarly shaped Riedel wine glasses such as white wine. I have read all of the Riedel literature and I wonder how much of it is simply marketing.
Could you offer your expertise on the subject, please. I love your show and have turned hundreds of people in Chicago onto Wine Library. Keep up the good work.
Dennis Swiech
August 12, 2009

John Mack
Very interesting show, amazing wines. I remember sharing a bottle of 1979 vintage Taylor’s about eight years ago. If memory serves, the palate was dominated by dried fruits and nuts, particularly golden sultanas. Would that note be applicable to today’s wine or is there a polar difference between vintages?
Regards to you and your family,
John
August 12, 2009

BillyGadol
I love port and have a bottle of the Taylor Fladgate ‘94. I will try to follow your recommendation and wait. What’s another 20 years? Perhaps I’ll open it up when my 8 year old son has a child of his own. I can hear the grousing already: “Why wont Grandpa Billy share his port?” – lol
August 12, 2009

thejob
Thanks for having a port episode. QOTD: I love that stuff! A few years ago a rep from Fladgate flew all the way to KY and spoke to about 30 of us and from that moment I was a lover of port/porto whatever you wanna call it. Keep on hustlin’ crushing and drinkin’.