Taylor Vargellas 1965 warning

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've just opened a previously unopened case (of 12) of Taylor Vargellas 1965 that I've owned for about 15 years. Of the 12 bottles, 1 had a complete cork failure and was empty. 2 were low shoulder having leaked all over the cardboard sleeves the bottles were packed in. 3 bottles were mid-shoulder with signs of slow leakage. 4 were top shoulder or base of neck with signs of seepage. 2 were base of neck or into neck with no signs of seepage.

If anyone else has a case of TV65 in storage, please learn from my experience and take a look at your bottles.

[Glenn E.]

It might be relevant to know the bottler? Was this an English bottled case, or one bottled in Porto?

[Alex Bridgeman]

I believe that all Vargellas 1965 was bottled in Porto, in 1968 - but I might be wrong...

[winesecretary]

@ Alex - that must have been a more than ordinarily disappointing moment. Commiserations.

[PhilW]

I believe that all Vargellas 1965 was bottled in Porto, in 1968 - but I might be wrong...

Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR.
Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintages?

[idj123]

I believe that all Vargellas 1965 was bottled in Porto, in 1968 - but I might be wrong...

Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR.
Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintages?

BBR bottled both 64 and 65 TV.

[PhilW]

BBR bottled both 64 and 65 TV.

Any pics? I've only seen these for '64 and '65:


which both have an extra label showing they were sold by BBR but the main label shows Oporto-bottled not BBR-bottled.
Have you seen different, with BBR-bottled label for either/both years?

[Glenn E.]

I believe that all Vargellas 1965 was bottled in Porto, in 1968 - but I might be wrong...

Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR.
Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintages?

I have seen and tasted English-bottled 1967 Taylor Vargellas bottled in both 1969 and 1970. Unfortunately I do not recall the bottler, so it may very well have been BBR in both cases.

The TV64 that I opened for the horizontal on my birthday was bottled in Porto and looks like the picture Phil posted, only without the BBR sticker.

[PhilW]

Further to this; the only non-Oporto bottling of any Taylor Vargellas of which I am aware are the '67 and '69 bottlings by BBR.
Does anyone know of any other non-Oporto bottlings of any Taylor Vargellas vintages?

I have seen and tasted English-bottled 1967 Taylor Vargellas bottled in both 1969 and 1970. Unfortunately I do not recall the bottler, so it may very well have been BBR in both cases.

It turns out I do have record of two other non-Oporto bottling of TV67, by British Transport Hotels (bottling year not shown) and Corney and Barrow (bottled 1969, as was the BBR bottling):


All of the Oporto-bottled TV67 that I can find so far were bottled in 1970.

[jdaw1]

From a well-known book:

1965 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas       ✔ Produced and sold

► Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd., June 1983, at £10.35 per bottle.

► The Wine Society, ref 6234, from April/September 1977 at £4.20 to October 78/April 79 at £4.65: “Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, 1965, very fruity, mature vintage port, from the best vineyard of this justly famous lodge. A lesser vintage, ready for drinking now”.

[PhilW]

From a well-known book:

1965 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas       ✔ Produced and sold

► Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd., June 1983, at £10.35 per bottle.

► The Wine Society, ref 6234, from April/September 1977 at £4.20 to October 78/April 79 at £4.65: “Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, 1965, very fruity, mature vintage port, from the best vineyard of this justly famous lodge. A lesser vintage, ready for drinking now”.

Do you have a photo of the Wine Society-bottled TV65? (am guessing you might since you know the code was "Portugal 6234" unless it came from WS records/lists?)

[jdaw1]

Do you have a photo of the Wine Society-bottled TV65? (am guessing you might since you know the code was "Portugal 6234" unless it came from WS records/lists?)

I have a low-quality photograph of the catalogue, but not of a bottle.