2011 Taylor LBV


PatrickEwing

Recommended Posts

I opened a bottle of this last night and was really taken with it. Generally, I find LBVs enjoyable, but also a bit of an afterthought. I will buy a bunch of this Taylor however. Sharp, expressive fruit and lingered quite a while.

Questions: Has anyone else tried this out? In an exceptional year like 2011, what grapes are finding their way into this bottle rather than a vintage bottle? And if they are the same, is it simple economics that LBVs are pushed out en masse to keep the Quinta lights on, rather than depend on the higher end Vintage offerings to move quickly enough? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, PatrickEwing said:

I opened a bottle of this last night and was really taken with it. Generally, I find LBVs enjoyable, but also a bit of an afterthought. I will buy a bunch of this Taylor however. Sharp, expressive fruit and lingered quite a while.

Questions: Has anyone else tried this out? In an exceptional year like 2011, what grapes are finding their way into this bottle rather than a vintage bottle? And if they are the same, is it simple economics that LBVs are pushed out en masse to keep the Quinta lights on, rather than depend on the higher end Vintage offerings to move quickly enough? 

definitely will not be the same grapes. the top grapes will have gone into their 2011 VP. except for a very small amount from a special patch of very old vines they do separately and bottle, in only the very best years (i doubt anyone on this forum is young enough that they'll still be compus when it is at its peak). they age for decades, even more so than the usual VP.

they are very careful about which grapes go where. if this was a year where they did not make a VP then more than possible those grapes went into the LBV. the trade-off is that even though the LBV will not get the top grapes in a vintage year, being a better year means that what does go in is top notch.

i will say 'sharp' is an intriguing description. not one i would have expected but we all describe things in different ways.

i did a piece on Taylors VPs a while back for the Fine Wine mag group. if i can find it, i'll post it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the reply Ken. First let me clarify. Sharp may have been an ineloquent manner of saying vibrant. That is, rather than some standard Ruby's or other LBVs, I'm finding clearer expressions of the wine rather than a summary, one note feel and taste. The notes are hitting higher and clearer. In short, I enjoy it.

And thanks too for the explanation. It would make sense for the best to go to the best and thankfully this is what you pay for! And yes, very valid point that a good year will lift all boats. 

Ill email you separately. Very interested in the article. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, PatrickEwing said:

Thanks for the reply Ken. First let me clarify. Sharp may have been an ineloquent manner of saying vibrant. That is, rather than some standard Ruby's or other LBVs, I'm finding clearer expressions of the wine rather than a summary, one note feel and taste. The notes are hitting higher and clearer. In short, I enjoy it.

And thanks too for the explanation. It would make sense for the best to go to the best and thankfully this is what you pay for! And yes, very valid point that a good year will lift all boats. 

Ill email you separately. Very interested in the article. 

email sent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Taylors grapes for LBV are from all over their holdings while the VP would be more the Vargellas & Terra Feita quintas.  I am not big fan of TFP LBV's as I am with their VP's.  

2011 is a heralded vintage and inexpensive investment considering the LBV price point and the quality of the vintage.  I picked up a case of '11 Crasto LBV just to say I own something of the vintage.  Maybe buy a case of '11 Niepoort LBV too.  Both will make for nice quaffers in a decade.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

love the crasto's. we don't see a lot of their wines down here but they had an aussie winemaker for a while (still might, not sure).

a portuguese friend of mine (worst driver in the world - i met her when she collected a few of us for a trip years ago, from the lisbon airport - driving back into town, i saw all these people filming us and she starts screaming at the traffic. we are on the wrong side of a three lane highway in the middle of lisbon. she explains that they must have changed the roads since she got out of hospital after being in there for 6 months, for this is her first time driving since getting released. why were you in? car accident. over the next few days, i doubt i saw her driving without being on at least one of her two phones, doing her make-up, talking to people in the back set and so on. but she was a terrific person and i digressed).

she was a friend of one of the crasto sons so told them i'd be staying for a few days. one of the sons seemed to have a never-ending parade of supermodels following him, and the money!!! i believe the owner's brother owns the sporting lisbon football club. or did. he owns one of the country's biggest banks and so on. they had the most brilliant infinity pool right at the very top of one of the highest peaks overlooking the duoro. truly spectacular. i remember spending an arvo there with a good book, a very good port and a brilliant SLR DC. sadly no supermodels.

they gave me a couple of bottles of the family tawny, about 40 years of age, to bring back - restrictions meant i had to knock off one in the hotel rooms before i left but i still have the other. wonderful stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, PatrickEwing said:

Thanks for the reply Ken. First let me clarify. Sharp may have been an ineloquent manner of saying vibrant. That is, rather than some standard Ruby's or other LBVs, I'm finding clearer expressions of the wine rather than a summary, one note feel and taste. The notes are hitting higher and clearer. In short, I enjoy it.

I think you're dead on with that assessment. Vibrant it is. The Taylor's is one of my go-to LBVs (that said - agree on the Crasto). As Ken sais, chances are probably higher for better qual grapes going imto the LBV in non-declared years. However, I find the 2011 to be very good.

22 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

except for a very small amount from a special patch of very old vines they do separately and bottle, in only the very best years (i doubt anyone on this forum is young enough that they'll still be compus when it is at its peak). they age for decades, even more so than the usual VP.

Guess you are referring to the Qta de Vargellas, Vinha Vela. I have been optimistic enough to venturously invest in a couple of 2007 bottles....:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Fugu said:

 

Guess you are referring to the Qta de Vargellas, Vinha Vela. I have been optimistic enough to venturously invest in a couple of 2007 bottles....:D

the 2007 was the wine with which we finished the taylors day (started at the 1924 and 1935). it was extraordinary. but seriously, it won't mature in my lifetime. i have a few left and i'll hold off for as long as i can.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

the 2007 was the wine with which we finished the taylors day (started at the 1924 and 1935). it was extraordinary. but seriously, it won't mature in my lifetime. i have a few left and i'll hold off for as long as i can.

Ok, so at least something to pass on to the kids... :lol:

Ta for the info!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

 

she was a friend of one of the crasto sons so told them i'd be staying for a few days. one of the sons seemed to have a never-ending parade of supermodels following him, and the money!!! i believe the owner's brother owns the sporting lisbon football club. or did. he owns one of the country's biggest banks and so on.

Sounds similar to Quinta Portal's story.  Portal is a wonder facility, quinta, restaurant, and hotel to stay at.  The view is not as epic as it is from the Crasto pool...  Vargellas has an amazing view.  I saw the sunset once from a gazebo set at up from a vantage point at Vargellas.

For me, Crasto makes better dry wine than port.  I would like to try their Colheita and tawny again...  Never had a wow vintage port from Crasto.  Some of their dry wines are among the best of Portugal.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Sounds similar to Quinta Portal's story.  Portal is a wonder facility, quinta, restaurant, and hotel to stay at.  The view is not as epic as it is from the Crasto pool...  Vargellas has an amazing view.  I saw the sunset once from a gazebo set at up from a vantage point at Vargellas.

For me, Crasto makes better dry wine than port.  I would like to try their Colheita and tawny again...  Never had a wow vintage port from Crasto.  Some of their dry wines are among the best of Portugal.  

You are very right, sir. Quinta do Castro has a very good reputation as a wine producer from the Douro region, more so then Port wines. Their Old Vines (Vinhas Velhas) is, IMO, particular good value for money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, TheMonk said:

You are very right, sir. Quinta do Castro has a very good reputation as a wine producer from the Douro region, more so then Port wines. Their Old Vines (Vinhas Velhas) is, IMO, particular good value for money.

Ponte, Maria Theresa, and Touriga Nacional are my favorites from them.  I had dinner at the Quinta once.  

Speaking of Douro wines, I recently picked up a few bottles of Herdade do Mouchão Tinto 2011 and Vertice Espumante Gouveio 2007 for dirt cheap!  Can't wait to try them.

Have you tried the Niepoort Coche white wine yet?  Outstanding.  Was my favorite Douro tasted in 2016.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ponte, Maria Theresa, and Touriga Nacional are my favorites from them.  I had dinner at the Quinta once.  

Speaking of Douro wines, I recently picked up a few bottles of Herdade do Mouchão Tinto 2011 and Vertice Espumante Gouveio 2007 for dirt cheap!  Can't wait to try them.

Have you tried the Niepoort Coche white wine yet?  Outstanding.  Was my favorite Douro tasted in 2016.



I have not, I'm generally not a big fan of white wines... only usually drink it on the warmer summer months. I usually end up finding red wines to go nicely with fish, or even seafood. I'll pick up a bottle next time, though, coming from Dirk it shouldn't disappoint.

I have tried the Vértice Gouveia 2007 a couple months back, and quite liked it, one of the best sparkling wines I've had. Herdade do Mouchão is also very good, never disappoints. Speaking of Douro Wines, Quinta do Vale Meão usually never disappoints either, nor does Quinta Vale Dona Maria.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TheMonk said:

I have tried the Vértice Gouveia 2007 a couple months back, and quite liked it, one of the best sparkling wines I've had. Herdade do Mouchão is also very good, never disappoints. Speaking of Douro Wines, Quinta do Vale Meão usually never disappoints either, nor does Quinta Vale Dona Maria.

 

Both are great producers.  Some of the Douro's went too new world in style for me.  Douro is not my favorite red wine region in Portugal.  I prefer Dao and really like Bairrada.  Port is my favorite...  Vintage port is a significant percent of my wine cellar.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Both are great producers.  Some of the Douro's went too new world in style for me.  Douro is not my favorite red wine region in Portugal.  I prefer Dao and really like Bairrada.  Port is my favorite...  Vintage port is a significant percent of my wine cellar.

 

I'm a big fan of Douro wines, even though I also enjoy Dão and Bairrada, as well as Alentejo - but here mostly premium wines, as regular production ones tend to be too plain and uninteresting. Trás-os-Montes and Colares have also been coming out with some very interesting wines, quite different from everything else.

It's always great to see so many Port wine lovers from all over the world... I'm actually from Porto, born and raised, and was never a big fan of Port wine, much prefer single malt whisky, a nice rum or aguardente, or even just some good red wine - even though Port does go well with a cigar, I'll say that much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, TheMonk said:

I'm actually from Porto, born and raised, and was never a big fan of Port wine, much prefer single malt whisky, a nice rum or aguardente, or even just some good red wine - even though Port does go well with a cigar, I'll say that much.

Have you ever ate/drank at the Factory House?

It's lunch time in Boston, could go for a Francesinha if they made them!  Most Portuguese are from the Azores around here.   1/4 of my high school was of Portuguese decent if not born there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Have you ever ate/drank at the Factory House?

It's lunch time in Boston, could go for a Francesinha if they made them!  Most Portuguese are from the Azores around here.   1/4 of my high school was of Portuguese decent if not born there...

No, I've never ate or drank at their Factory House. Is it worth it?

I do love a good Francesinha, although haven't had one in a couple months! I see you're indeed familiar with some of our cuisine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, TheMonk said:

No, I've never ate or drank at their Factory House. Is it worth it?

I thought you need an invite to go?  I have never been there.  Been to Vinologia before and many of the Shippers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I thought you need an invite to go?  I have never been there.  Been to Vinologia before and many of the Shippers.

No idea, but I know more then a few wine producers, mostly from Douro, so that shouldn't be too hard. I'll take a look at it. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 2/28/2017 at 8:50 AM, TheMonk said:

It's always great to see so many Port wine lovers from all over the world... I'm actually from Porto, born and raised, and was never a big fan of Port wine, much prefer single malt whisky, a nice rum or aguardente, or even just some good red wine - even though Port does go well with a cigar, I'll say that much.

Just catching up on this...I got engaged at the Yeatman in 2015 and we had a celebratory dinner at O Paparico. The food was great, the service even better. Very nice people. Afterward, we stayed in Pinhao for a few nights. 

My wife is also a big fan of port and that trip made us huge fans of Porto itself. It's not something we can consider at this point in our life, but down the road a ways, we are giving some thought to buying something around there. Unless the secret gets out too much...

In any event, we hope to make it back soon and I'll be sure to pester you when the time comes. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, TheMonk said:

 


I'm glad you enjoyed Porto so much! Feel free to pester, anytime.

one of my absolute fave places on earth. great city. brilliant river/trip up the duoro, love the port region.

my first trip there was in 1987 to play cricket at the oporto cricket and lawn tennis club (i think). amazing stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

one of my absolute fave places on earth. great city. brilliant river/trip up the duoro, love the port region.

my first trip there was in 1987 to play cricket at the oporto cricket and lawn tennis club (i think). amazing stuff.



When was the last time you were there, Ken? I ask because the city has undergone significant changes (for the better) these past few years.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Community Software by Invision Power Services, Inc.