20 Year Old Tawny Port by Taylor Fladgate

[Glenn E.]

I picked up a bottle of the Taylor 20-yr old because I had it in Porto and thought it was surprisingly good. Surprising because I'd heard several people comment that it wasn't up to par with top-of-the-heap 20-yr olds like the Ramos Pinto, Ferreira, and Sandeman. Unfortunately I don't recall where I purchased this bottle, as 20-yr olds come and go at my house in fairly rapid succession.

Taylor Fladgate 20-yr Old Tawny
TN from memory - the Port was consumed 24+ hours ago and no notes were taken at the time

It looked like a pretty standard 20-yr old in the glass - nicely tawny, with enough red left to remind you that it's not a 40-yr old. As I recall it was bright and clear, with no cloudiness whatsoever.

The nose seemed a little bit off. There was a slight edge to it that smelled almost like grape stem tastes during a long finish. Other than that it seemed fairly normal, with some almond and honey showing through the oak.

The mouth feel was weak, though, which is what prompted me to write this. When I had it in Porto it seemed refined and elegant, but still substantial. This bottle still seemed elegant, but in a fragile way. The oak on the nose could be tasted, then gave way to caramel. The grape stem edge on the nose could also be tasted, but faded into insignificance in the finish. The main problem with the mouth feel was that it just felt too light - almost watery - instead of thicker (but not syrupy) like most 20-yr olds.

It did pair nicely with a whipped lemon cream cheese pie, and it's possible that the vibrant citrus in the pie emphasized the lack of weight in the Port. I noticed the problems long before dessert, though, so the pie can't be entirely to blame.

I've seen these in stores in the $45 range so the QPR is decent, but I think I'd still rather pay the extra $10 for a Ramos Pinto. And I'd absolutely choose the Fonseca (also in the $45 range) over the Taylor Fladgate.