Taylor Port Wine: In addition to Croft and Fonseca, Taylors is another prominent name in the Port Wine industry, forming part of the prestigious Fladgate Partnership. During my recent stay at The Yeatman Hotel and its renowned Gastronomic Restaurant, I had the chance to tour the Taylor Port Wine cellars, conveniently situated just across the street from the hotel. From this vantage point, it’s striking to see the expansive prime real estate occupied by the Fladgate Partnership’s Port Wine cellars. Although these are functional warehouses, they all boast the same iconic view of Porto that some guests of The Yeatman Hotel pay nearly 2000 euros per night to enjoy.
Taylor Port Wine Cellar Experience
Perched on a hill within the medieval layout of Porto’s left bank along the Douro River, the Taylor Port Wine Cellars are not accessible by tour buses. The cellars, largely unchanged since their construction in the 1700s, are not equipped to handle large groups. However, this limitation aligns with Taylors and the Fladgate Partnership’s philosophy of providing a unique and personalized experience for each guest.
When they opened the cellars to the public, their goal was to avoid mass tourism and ensure a more intimate visit, rather than accommodating large busloads of visitors with pre-poured port wine. As a result, Taylors hosts around 60,000 visitors annually—just over 150 per month—compared to other establishments that might welcome nearly 1,000 visitors daily during peak season.
This company stands out for its commitment to privacy, a quality I experienced firsthand during visits to three of their locations: Quinta do Panascal in the Douro, The Yeatman Hotel, and the Taylor Port Wine Cellars in Gaia. At each of these sites, Taylors prioritizes creating a unique and personal experience, which is a hallmark of their brand. I genuinely admire their dedication to exclusively producing port wine, resisting the trend that has seen other Port Wine producers in the Douro region branch out into Douro DOC table wines.
This dedication is evident not just in their wine, but in their entire approach to business. My observations are reinforced by friends working for Fladgate, such as Diana Carvalho, Ana Margarida Morgado, and Filipe Carvalho, who openly share their enthusiasm and pride in their work with the company.
Here’s a prime example of how Taylor’s approaches wine tourism uniquely. Every other month, on a Sunday morning, Clara Haddad from the Um Porto de Contos Project visits the Taylor Port Wine Cellars to tell stories to children in their gardens. This initiative aims to draw locals from Porto to the cellars, encouraging those who might otherwise perceive it as a purely tourist attraction to visit and engage with the site.
At Taylor Port Wine Cellars, all tours are designed to be private, accommodating up to 10 people with flexible departure times. They encourage couples and families to savor their visit at their own pace. Each tour is customized, offering a unique experience tailored to individual preferences. Visitors can delve into the intriguing history of Port wine and the House of Taylors, which boasts a legacy spanning four centuries, making it one of the oldest Port companies. Tours are scheduled to start approximately every 30 to 40 minutes, and no prior reservation is necessary.
I requested a private tour with Ana Margarida Morgado, whom I had met during my visit to Quinta do Panascal. Ana is an exceptional professional with extensive knowledge of Taylor Port Wine. While I won’t cover every detail she shared, I can confirm that her insights extend well beyond mere facts and figures. What stood out the most to me was the traditional practice of foot-treading the grapes. This method is employed to enhance the quality of the final product. Machine processing, particularly for Port wines, often imparts a bitter taste because the mechanical crushes grape seeds, releasing their unpleasant oils. As Ana explained, “You achieve a more complex and longer-lasting wine with the traditional method.”
Tasting Experience at Taylors Port Wine
As part of my private tour, rather than having my post-cellar visit Port Wine tasting at the visitor center, we were led to the annexed house of the Taylor Port Wine Cellars. This historic building was once the residence of the cellars’ manager in the 18th century and served as a venue for client meetings. Experiencing a private port wine tasting in this setting is truly special. It’s not just the distinctive aquamarine blue walls, the antique furnishings, or the intricate plasterwork on the ceiling that make it exceptional. What sets it apart is its preservation in nearly original condition from the 18th century, and its ongoing use for exclusive tastings and occasional company gatherings.
Ana Margarida Morgado arranged a selection of five Port Wines for my tasting. This mid-morning tasting menu featured a diverse range of options: Chip Dry White Port, the 2010 Taylors LBV, 20-Year Tawny, a special 50-Year Tawny from 1965, and the 2012 Vargelas Vintage Single Quinta.
We embarked on a tasting journey through the finest offerings from Taylor Port Wines. Our experience began with the Chip Dry White Port, ideally paired with salted almonds from Torre de Moncorvo, a village in the Douro Superior sub-region renowned for its exceptional almonds. Next, we sampled the 2010 Taylors LBV, a close relative of the 2009 Taylors LBV, which recently earned a spot as #16 in Wine Spectator’s 2015 Best Wine List and achieved the highest ranking for a Portuguese wine on that list. For this wine, Taylors recommends pairing it with a dark chocolate truffle sprinkled with Portuguese fleur de sel. More details about this wine can be found below.
For the 20-year-old Tawny, a milk chocolate truffle with a dash of orange zest was recommended. This Tawny was selected for its excellent harmony, standing out as the most well-rounded option in the Taylor’s Port lineup. The 1965 Very Old Single Harvest Port is a rare release available annually for those marking a 50-year anniversary or other significant milestones. To conclude the tasting, the 2012 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port was offered, celebrated for its superb quality.
Named 16th in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2015, with a score of 93 points. This port is described as having a robust and opulent character, featuring prominent spice notes and flavors of ripe dark plums and cherry compote. It reveals mineral undertones midway through, culminating in a decadent chocolatey finish. The port is recognized for its fresh and engaging style.
Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Port was designed to offer a high-quality yet more accessible and ready-to-drink alternative to Vintage Port. It was first introduced in 1970 by Alistair Robertson, Taylor’s current Chairman. Robertson aimed to craft a wine that combined the year-specific designation and full body of a Vintage Port with the immediate drinkability of a Ruby. Its success is evident, as many other Port producers have since adopted the LBV style. However, Taylor’s LBV – the original Late Bottled Vintage – continues to set the standard in this category.
