Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha

[uncle tom]

Here

Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Port 1995 ~ 11 @ $295 WE97, WS95 in-stock
"A gloriously crafted young Port, new from Taylor. Ancient vines from Vargellas. Inky-colored, with wonderful spice, plum and berry aromas. Full-bodied, medium sweet, with silky tannins and a long, long, sweet fruit finish. Not imported into the U.S. Best after 2008." Wine Spectator

Vargellas Vinha Velha is the new Nacional, at least in the price department.

How many vintages of VVV have been made?

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

This is probably worth a thread of its own (hint to admins). I believe it is 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004 to date but I would need to go back to my notes to be certain. I do recall Fred starting a similar thread on FTLOP some time ago.

Alex

[uncle tom]

I'm pretty sure they didn't do 2003 - they were accused of robbing the main blend of the best juice in 2000, and may have been worried about getting negative publicity for their cornerstone product.

- that, or they really did need all the best juice to make the regular Taylor VP to an acceptable standard in '03.

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

Tom,

I think you're right. In my notes, I have them down as having shipped VVV in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2004.

Whether this will be as good as the Nacional, I have no idea having not (yet) had the chance to taste young Nacional once it has matured for 20-30 years.

I will have to wait until 2014 to be able to say that I have done this - and the oldest VVV I have ever tasted was the 2000

Alex

[Frederick Blais]

So far, commercial release are 1995,1997,2000,2004. 1997 Was tricky to get. It was released in a very limited velvet box trio with 95 and 2000 only sold in USA and UK with high publicity in magazines

Tom is right, when I visited Taylor in 2004 there was a couple of vat of 2003 that was planned to be bottled but was finally kept for the final blend of Taylor.

So far I've only tasted the 95 and it is great quality. I did enjoy it more than Roy as my bottle was looking more expressive than the more closed one he got. For me today it is much more enjoyable than the 2000/2003 VP of Taylor but it may not go as far. An interesting Port to follow. Seeing I like it as much, the quality is there and it seems to be consistent and 1/3 of the price for Nacional, I'm not sure I'll buy Nacional anymore.

[Conky]

Does someone fancy explaining the Single Quinta, Single Estate theory of Vargellas and Vargellas Vinha Velha. I thought Vargellas was a SQ, is it not? Is it just the V V that is?
The price jumps up significantly, and as a few of us are awaiting 6 cheaper Vargellas from Tesco, I might as well understand the distinction.

Alan

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alan,

Vargellas is a pretty big wine farm with a history going back more than a couple of hunderd years.

There is a parcel of vines in an area just behind the vinification sheds, that was planted up many years ago - something like the start of the 1900s. This particular vineyard is well positioned to ripen perfectly and, given the age of the vines, produces small quantities of intensely flavoured grapes in a field blend. In all (?) years these grapes are vinified separately from other parcels (this is quite normal practice for parcels of grapes to be vinified separately) and are blended in to the vintage port of the year, whether this is a Single Quinta blend or the full Taylor's Vintage Port.

On four occasions, there has been a small quantity of the Old Vines (Vinha Velha) lotte left over after the vintage blend has been completed. In previous years I guess that this would have gone in to the lesser wines but in 1995 Taylor decided to bottle it under its own label and again in 1997, 2000 and 2004.

Alex

[Conky]

Alex,


thanks for that. If I understand correctly, Vargellas is huge, but is a SQ. Then, a little like Nacional, they have a small plot within the main vineyard which can produce V V.

Interesting.

Alan

[Andy Velebil]

VVV is basically a "Vinyard Designated" wine, just like Noval's Nacional. As its only from one small section on the Vargellas property. However, since there is no such classification by the IVDP they still fall under the SQVP designation by the IVDP.

As for bottling, they now bottle VVV only when they feel the grapes are worthy of their own bottling. In years they don't meet that high quality, then all the grapes are used in the regular Taylor's VP's or the Vargellas SQVP's in slightly lesser years.

[jdaw1]

So, you own a vineyard that makes good port. And you observe the prices paid for Nacional. With that background, draft a business plan to increase profits.

And it might taste good (I am a VVV virgin, so must defer to others).

[DRT]

So, you own a vineyard that makes good port. And you observe the prices paid for Nacional. With that background, draft a business plan to increase profits.

I firmly believe that this is the most accurate post in this thread

Derek

[Conky]

Thats what they have done. The Prices of VVV are 4 times the price of V.

[Frederick Blais]

You don't do 200 cases of a wine to make huge profits out of it. It is your passion for quality and distinction. The ex-cellar price of this wine is around 100 euros.... Guess who makes the most out of it! Anyway what I find very interesting is that it is really distinct and a big step above the Vargellas regular bottling. Though at Noval, the regular bottling in recent years as often been as good, though distinct too, than the Nacioanal priced 6-7 times higher.

[DRT]

Fred,

I hear what you are saying but I think the 4 VVV releases to date are just the beginning. If this wine gets a big reputation for outstanding quality I am sure future generations will see it as Taylor's answer to NN and the price differential, volumes and frequency of release will be similar.

Derek

[Alex M]

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I noticed on a BBR event page, that they had a 1970 Taylors VVV.

http://www.bbr.com/product-TAS948-made- ... st-october

I thought VVV only went back to 1995, or have BBR made an error. Can anyone shed any light on this bottle?

[JacobH]

I believe the Vargellas ’70 was made from grapes grown at the foot of the vineyard which were about to be lost to flooding due to another dam being placed across the river, which is why Taylors released both a normal ’70 and the Vargellas. I’m not sure if they referred to it as ‟Vinha Velha” at the time.

Incidentally, is anyone planning on going to that tasting? I’m often tempted by the BBR tastings but can never work out whether it is worth it as, amongst things I’d like to try (like the ’70 Vargellas) there’s so much padding (e.g. Taylors Chip Dry, the Gosset )

[benread]

Much as I would love to go, the price and timing preclude it for me.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I suspect that the Vinha Velha is a typing error. I I get the chance tomorrow, I might phone Berrys and enquire.

Or I might wait until the night - I will be there! Although pricey evenings, I feel they are value for money for the location, the wines and the chance to chat to interesting people.

[jdaw1]

and the chance to chat to interesting people.

Please enquire whether any live in Paris.

[mosesbotbol]

Seeing I like it as much, the quality is there and it seems to be consistent and 1/3 of the price for Nacional, I'm not sure I'll buy Nacional anymore.

How much Nacional had you been buying? Must be nice...