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Being able to take part in a tasting like this one is a real privilege. Thank you Martin for taking on the challenge of organising it.

My highlight was the 1997. Probably the best bottle of 1997 from any producer that I have ever tasted. Perhaps I need to revisit my scepticism of this vintage...

I've just noticed the report - and loved reading it. Harry - thank you for taking the time to share with us the fun of the trip.

On Thursday 16th May 2024, Neil most wonderfully organised a tasting of all of the Taylor Single Harvest Tawnies from 1961 to 1971 and added the bonus bottles of Taylor Golden Age 50YO Tawny, Taylor VVO - Platinum Jubilee Edition and Taylor VVO - Coronation Edition. It was a splendid evening with so...

I'll ask Seckford to choose 1 bottle each of the missing intervening vintages from my stocks with them 1960, 1975, 1980, 1983 and then for them to decide how many should be Taylor and how many should not be Taylor i.e 0-4 Taylor bottles. Then to remove all labels and capsules and simply label the b...

Taylor’s 1961 Single Harvest Port, bottled 2020. Most of the single harvest tawnies at this tasting were bottled with about 50 years of cask age; this wine had nearly 60 years before being bottled. Very dark brown in colour with a lovely nose of molasses and Golden Syrup. Great complexity with the f...

Taylor’s 1964 Single Harvest Port. Bottled in 2014. The lightest of the single harvest tawnies, but still a warm amber colour. A lovely nose of quince paste and bruised peach, fruity yet sweet. The best smelling wine out of the vintages 1971-1964. Light texture on the palate, honey with a little lim...

Taylor’s 1965 Single Harvest Port, bottled 2015. Light Green on the rim. Muted on the nose, a little orange and candied ginger. The nose improved and opened after an hour in the glass to become much more attractive. Light texture on the palate but without compromising on the intensity of flavour. Fa...

Bottled 2016. A little smelly on the nose, with a surprising amount of bottle stink. Persistence allows the stink to turn into a bruised orange. A little hollow on entry, some tannins providing a frame which the flavours of dried orange and marmalade slowly fill. Dry edged aftertaste; sticky orange ...

Bottled 2016. Fresh nose, although a little muted, some honey and lemon. Although limited, what there is is quite inviting. The palate is lighter than most but develops a nice depth. Great acidity offsets the high residual sugar. Coffee, dates and some molasses on a ling, sticky and not wholly perfe...

Sweet yet restrained bletted quince and some pear on the nose. Lovely balance on the palate with generous fruit giving a delightful combination of citrus flavours. The balance on the palate is impressive with a lovely grip on the aftertaste. Sweet caramel and torched sugar with a powerful citrus shi...

Bottled 2018. Soft quince and caramel on the nose - making it sweet and attractive. Balanced on the palate and much more elegant than the 1970 Colheita tasted alongside. Orange caramel but with flashes of the bitterness of orange zest brightening the sweet palate. So persistent on the fabulous finis...

Bottled 2020. Warm marmalade on the nose, with btter-sweet citrus fruit. A delightful intensity of flavour on the palate. A rich set of flavours backed by generous lemon acidity. There is considerable sugar on the palate, but this is nicely balanced by the acidity. The wine delivers a long lemon fin...

Bottled 2021. Rancio on the nose, smelling a little maderised. Burnt orange and coffee on the palate, gentle lemon acidity with plenty of brown sugar. Great acidity on the aftertaste; a little coffee and tannin leads on to a long burnt sugar finish. 88/100. Tasted 16-May-2024.

Taylor’s Golden Age, 50YO Tawny, bottled in 2022. A delicious caramelised orange on the nose, sweet yet also balanced by a little acidity. Balanced entry with an attractive palate. Nicely constructed, with an elegance lacking on some of the Single Harvest Tawnies tasted alongside this wine. Good aci...

Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny, Platinum Jubilee edition. Bottled in 2022. Sweet on the nose with honey and lemon and a richness which outshines all the other wines at this tasting. Just as rich on the palate as on the nose, with marmalade and lemon and an amazing depth and complexity of flavour. Grea...

Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny, King Charles III Coronation Edition. Bottled 2023. Warm orange and and honey on the nose, beautifully perfumed. The palate is astonishing — there are tannins, coffee, jellied fruits and much more. Nice acidity and tannins frame the wine; lighter in texture than many of ...

I love a young, fruity and delicious Vintage Port - this sounds just in my sweet spot. I know it will turn into something glorious in 50-75 years, but it's nearly irresistible as it is.

Great note, by the way!

There will be fourteen of us, likely all full-capacity drinkers, and 14 × 1¼ = 17½. Table space limits us to 1×A3 + 1×A4, so to about 15 + 6 = 21 glasses. Would it be wrong to have between 18 and 20? Table space is a genuine constraint. It is more efficient if printing onto trimmed /A2 (e.g., Vesuv...

I’m another fan of the Carvalhas tawnies (including the colheitas). Your friend won’t be disappointed if they decide to get the tasting pack.

I’d like to join - I can offer Cr63, D63, F63! Oh Ben. Getting involved with the Port Forum is so dangerous. I remember when you buying 1963 VP was a pipe dream. Now look at you. Not one; not two; but three different 1963 Vintage Ports - and all top drawer 1963 Vintage Ports too. I am proud of you,...

OK. Good.

I need to go and find the Morgan 1977 tomorrow.

jdaw1 wrote: ↑23:35 Mon 20 May 2024 G77 found and standing.

Has Martin done his spreadsheet wizardry and allocated who is bringing what?

You take pretty much what you can get, but your hotel will have a preferred local driver and I would go with them. Having someone you can call to ask to intervene in Portuguese if your driver isn’t where you expect at the time you expect can be very helpful.