2003 Taylor Fladgate LBV Port

[Glenn E.]

Opened to have something to drink. A cellar defender doing its duty! This was the first of 4 bottles discovered and purchased recently. Unfortunately it appears that I neglected to input the purchase into Cellartracker, so I'll have to dig through my emails and get that put in properly.

On this bottle the t-cork was soaked through and it appeared that there may have been some very slight seepage.

2003 Taylor Fladgate LBV

Color: Very deep red that looks purple at a glance. Opaque center.
Nose: Dark fruits, plenty of grape. The usual low level of alcohol. There's something a little richer in the nose now... possibly some black cherry?
Palate: Dark and brooding like a coming storm. There's something going on here that I haven't noticed in previous bottles, almost as if a transformation has been interrupted. I get the distinct impression that this bottle was caught in the middle of the maturation process. It is fruity and warm with lots of dark berries - black currant, plum (prune?), and semi-tart black cherry. There's also an impression of fermentation halted. The tannins are sound but not overt. The acidity is good but not in your face. Medium to medium full body. The mysterious nature of something halted adds a layer of complexity that I normally don't find in this LBV, which is very nice. An excellent drinking Port.
Finish: A little bit of grip from the tannins, some pleasant warmth, and some nice fruits. There's a little bit of a chocolate impression as well. Reasonably long and very smooth.

Score: 93 points. With more time it seems like this might actually be getting ready to transform into something even nicer, but I doubt I'll be able to keep my hands off of the remaining bottles long enough to find out.

[Andy Velebil]

Wish I kept some of these, just for a few years to see how they would evolve. But alas, I couldn't keep my hands off them and drank them right after buying them.

[Mahmoud Ali]

An excellent tasting note Glenn. You also captured the essential element of this usually ordinary LBV, it's fruit, balance, and elegance (smoothness), as well as a certain depth that gives this port that something extra.

An earlier post on this forum lit a fire under me and I was able to find quite a few bottles. Three or four were consumed in fairly quick successsion but the remaining six are being kept for more measured consideration in the future.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud.

[Andy Velebil]

An excellent tasting note Glenn. You also captured the essential element of this usually ordinary LBV, it's fruit, balance, and elegance (smoothness), as well as a certain depth that gives this port that something extra.

An earlier post on this forum lit a fire under me and I was able to find quite a few bottles. Three or four were consumed in fairly quick successsion but the remaining six are being kept for more measured consideration in the future.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud.

Let us know how they hold up when you finally get around to trying them.

[Mahmoud Ali]

No worries, I certainly will.

Mahmoud

[Glenn E.]

The best part is that the bottle is still going strong. I keep it stoppered on the counter, not refrigerated, and it doesn't seem to have gone downhill at all yet.

I've just been too busy lately to finish it off quickly, but I guess that's a good thing because it's let me watch it over a full week now.