Fladgate Partnership Port Tasting at Wine Watch 7:30

Fladgate Partnership Port Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
7:30 PM

 

“Any time not spent drinking port, is a waste of time.” Percy Croft

We have an incredible line-up for port lovers here with 10 wines from the Fladgate Partnership on the table tonight. We will introduce our tasters to the latest vintage year with three newly released 2009’s along with a sampling of tawnys and a few older vintage ports for good measure. Our host this evening is Robert Bower, the 8th generation of one of Oporto’s most famous family. This will be a night to remember for port lovers and Wine Watch Catering’s Toni Lampasone will be making a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this tasting is $45+ tax for reservations call 954-523-9463

Tasting Line-Up:

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1985

(93 Points)  Medium ruby. Beautiful aromas of flowers and fresh plum, with hints of stems. Full-bodied and medium-sweet, with gorgeous silky tannins and a long, long finish. This is just starting to come around and offers wonderful flavors. Long life ahead, but ready to try. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now. –JS  Wine Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2008

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2009
Price: $130.50 Sale $114.84 Case $1331

(95 points) in Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "Going back and forth, the Taylor’s 2009 has a lighter nose than the 2007 with precise dark cherry, Seville orange, fresh fig and a hint of scorched soil. The palate is full-bodied packed with ripe black cherries, fresh fig and white pepper; very harmonious and focused although I feel that the 2007 has a little more depth and persistency. Very pretty and very pure, this Taylor’s may well put on weight with a couple of years in bottle and merit a higher mark. Tasted May 2011."

Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Vinha Velha 2009
Price : $288 Sale $253.44 Case $2938

An unusual release. Taylor Fladgate sometimes makes a Single Quinta wine from its Vargellas property in years when it doesn't release a vintage Port. But in 2009, the company decided to release this "old vine" (vinha velha) Port from five individual plots on the Vargellas property.  You will be the first in America to taste this unique collectible!

Fonseca Vintage Port 2003
Price : $141.75 Sale $124.75 Case $1446

(96+ Points)  Sporting an opaque, black-colored robe with dark purple trim, the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port exhibits a nose of profound depth. Its sweet black mass of dark fruit and spice aromas leads to a character of immense depth, richness, and weight. Full-bodied, viscous, and almost impenetrable, this dense, backward port is powerful and exceptionally long in the finish. Possibly the most masculine Fonseca I’ve ever encountered, it coats the taster’s palate with licorice, jammy black fruits, and notes of chocolate that last for over a minute. This blockbuster will require at least three decades to fully blossom. Anticipated maturity: 2035-2060.  Wine Advocate # 161, Oct 2005

Fonseca Vintage Port 2009
Price : $130.50 Sale $114.84 Case $1331

(93 points) from Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "The Fonseca 2009 has a very ripe sweet prune and fig-tinged bouquet that is very precocious. Touches of smoke, raisin and dark plum begin to emerge with time, though it needs to evolve a little more cohesion. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannins, luscious dark berried fruit, touches of pomegranate, fig and dates that lead to a gently grippy, persistent finish. This is a fine Fonseca, but I wanted it to give me more flamboyance and brio. Tasted May 2011."

Croft Vintage Port 2009
Price : $101.25 Sale $89.10 Case $1032

(93 points) from Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "The 2009 Croft has a very pure pretty bouquet with ripe blueberry and dark plum-scented bouquet. Fine definition although not quite as complex as I remember the 2007 at the same stage. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, supple tannins, moderate acidity, harmonious with a plush blackberry, crème de cassis and spice-tinged finish. Good potential, although I think the 2007 has an intellectual edge. Tasted May 2011."

Taylor 10 year tawny
Price : $39.50 Sale $34.76 Case $403

An exceptionally fine old tawny blend, aged for 10 years in oak casks. Elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking. A superb dessert wine, particularly with dishes made with chocolate, coffee or almonds, Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny may also be served at the end of the meal in the same way as Vintage Port.

Taylor 20 year tawny
Price : $67.50 Sale $59.40 Case $689

(92 points) "It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. Although I find the Thirty Year Old Tawny admirable, I prefer the richer, more vibrant Twenty Year Old Tawny." According the Wine Spectator: "A fruity old tawny, with plum and almond character and hints of honey and caramel. Medium-bodied, medium finish. Fresh style. Drink now." The Wine Advocate (09/03)

Taylor 30 year tawny
Price : $150 Sale $132 Case $1530

Blended from Taylor Fladgate's reserves of fine, cask-aged tawnies of several vintages, these wines are on average 30 years old. Rich, silky and elegant, it is a masterpiece of the blender's art.

Taylor 40 year tawny
Price : $225 Sale $198 Case $2295

Lush, silky richness reminiscent of caramel with an elegant, slightly austere quality which is quite distinctive. Intense bronze in color with subtle dried fruit flavors underlying rich, exotic layers of burnt sugar and nuts culminating in an endless finish, Taylor, Fladgate Over Forty Year Old Tawny is superb with cheeses, nuts and rich desserts, and stands alone as an ultimate digestif.

 

Menu

Selection of Cheese:  Roaring 40’s Blue, Beemster Gouda, ST. Andre

Bacon wrapped Figs stuffed with Roaring 40’s blue drizzled with Balsamic Syrup

Black cherry and raisin glazed crispy pork belly currant infused beignet

Dark chocolate and Toasted Hazelnut creme brulee with Almond crisp

A bit about our special guest:

Robert Bower’s passion for Port wine first emerged as a child following his father through the steep vineyards of the Douro during harvest, learning all the nuances of viticulture. Robert represents a long and distinguished line of port producers and represents the 8th generation of the Yeatman line through his grandmother to be involved in the Port industry. Robert Bower joined the Port wine industry in the Spring of 2001. He spent just under 5 years in the United States working for the fine wine importer Kobrand Corporation after which time he returned to Portugal in March 2011 to be the export and sales manager for the Fladgate Partnership.

Robert Maurice Syndercombe Bower was born on the 3rd of June, 1975, in Oporto, Portugal. Raised in Portugal until he was 8 years old, he was then sent to England to continue his education. After Eton College he went on to Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, in London. At Imperial he graduated in Biology and, a year later, obtained a Masters in Molecular Biology and Virology.

After leaving university he worked for 3 years in Cambridge for the pharmaceutical company, Novartis. After working in the UK away from his family and the Douro valley he decided it was time to move back to Portugal. Before returning to Portugal, he continued his education with marketing, languages and wine tasting courses, both in the United Kingdom and France.

The Fladgate Partnership is made up of three of the most historic and highly regarded Porto houses: Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca, and Croft. Their portos are produced with the attention to quality that is the standard to which all other Port wine houses aspire. It is a family-run company with the present members representing the 8th generation of the Yeatman family, originally from the Port house of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman, now with over 315 years of history.