As many of you may (or may not) know I'm a great lover of all things Spanish, yet I have never made the small leap across the border into nearby Portugal. So when the opportunity arose to take part in the Taylor Fladgate Partnership 2018 harvest, visiting Oporto and the Douro Valley in September, the answer was simple… sim, por favor! (Yes please!).
Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft are all iconic Port houses, whose wines are revered and respected worldwide. The firm was established in Vila Nova de Gaia 1692 and is one of the oldest founding Port houses making a wide range of styles from White, Pink, Tawny, Crusted, Reserve, LBV and Colheita Ports to name but a few. However, it is their benchmark Vintage Ports for which they are most loved due to their elegance and poise, as well as their restrained power and longevity. To create such saporous Vintage Ports, the finest wines from their own “quintas” or estates; Vargellas, Roeda and Panascal, are blended together. These three iconic properties each occupy several distinct geographic locations within the Douro Valley and as a result, each have their own unique character which they bring to the final wines. This is something which I would later learn about and see first-hand…
It is worth mentioning that Taylor’s is still a family owned and independent company, where certain family members continue to play leading roles in all areas of the business which has provided continuity, clarity and focus; all-important attributes of any great wine house. During the visit I was fortunate enough to meet Non-Executive Chairman Alistair Robertson, Head Winemaker David Guimaraens as well as current CEO Adrian Bridge, who all strongly value the family virtues within the company. Additionally, the tradition of passing on the essential skills, understanding and knowledge required to produce the finest Port has allowed them to be constantly refined and adapted as experience is passed down through the generations. The company is closely involved in all stages of production; from vineyard planting and cultivation techniques, to the making, ageing, blending and finally, bottling of the wines. The family’s total commitment to the future of Port is demonstrated in their dedication to the highest standards of production, continued investment in all aspects of the firm’s operations and the determination to preserve the unique environment of the Douro Valley through the promotion of sustainable and responsible viticulture. So with haste and great anticipation, it was off to Oporto…
Day 1
After a quite the delay in London City Airport we finally arrived in Oporto at the Hotel Infante Sagres, a beautiful, newly-refurbished and institutional hotel in the heart of the city. After a quick freshen up we headed to dinner where we were greeted by Amanda Lloyd, the UK Ambassador of Taylor Fladgate, and given an informative introduction to their world of Port, as well as our itinerary for the coming days. The food was fantastic, as was the wine where we were truly spoilt: Firstly, with some of the limited 325th commemorative edition Reserve Tawny. In its special 1 litre "bladder" bottle, visually it is very striking. By law, Reserve Tawny must be aged for a minimum of 7 years, however this release is carefully selected from extensive reserve stocks and has had closer to 12 years ageing which provides it with great depth, concentration and intense flavour. We were then presented with Taylor's 1985 vintage Port which is regarded as one of the greatest vintages in the last half century; it ticks all the boxes. Rich nose of black fruit and dark chocolate bound together with supple tannins and a beautiful touch of spice. A real gem and a delightful way to begin this Port experience.
Day 2
An early 8am roll call gathered the troops as we set off through the misty, cobbled streets of Oporto. As soon as we were out of the city, the skies cleared and the sun shone down over the immense valley and snaking Douro River. Quite the sight! After an hour or so of travel, through the constant hair pinned roads and steep slopes, we finally arrived at our first destination: Quinta da Roeda.
It is the flagship Croft vineyard located on the outskirts of Pinhao, a small village roughly 130km east of Oporto. The vineyard was purchased in 1889, and is renowned as one of the finest in the whole of the Douro Valley. Amanda started our tour by explaining why Croft purchased the vineyard then took us through the vines stating the importance of the site, its location and soils, as well as the constant improvements in vineyard management; namely the need to continue organic and sustainable viticulture due to evolving climatic challenges.
As we meandered the dusty tracks which zigzagged through row upon row of vines, we were greeted out of the blue by David Guimaraens, Head Winemaker for Taylor Fladgate. An enigma of a man who is simply a fountain of knowledge on all things Port and Douro related; not only is this a job, it is quite clearly a deep-rooted passion. He eats, sleeps and breathes Port and visits all of the main vineyards on a daily basis. In the shade of an estate fig tree, David explained the intricate history of Quinta da Roeda, its current trials and tribulations (protecting against frost, retaining native grape varietals and not losing vineyard ‘character’) but what is also in store for the future (lack of labour to traditional grape stomping and sustainable viticulture for generations to come)… A fantastic insight and a real treat to be able to spend time with this man.
With the mid-day sun beating down on us, we took a short leap across the valley to Fonseca’s Quinta do Panascal for lunch. A splendid winery located high up on the steep slopes of the Tavora River. It has not always been in the Fonseca portfolio, yet was purchased in 1978 because the firm was aware of its huge potential and it is now the jewel in Fonseca’s crown; known for producing rich, luscious and aromatic wines in the trademark house style. It was also one of the first properties in the valley to contain areas of vineyard with organic certification, something which the whole firm has now heavily invested in both morally, and financially. For lunch, we sat out on the beautiful terrace and had homemade ‘crisps’, fried bacalhau (salt cod) and the local speciality of Roast Kid (Goat). Delicioso!
Feeling full to the brim it was time to get back on the road as we headed further up the Douro to the Nogueira winery at Sao Joao de Pesquiera. As the harvest was in full swing, it was great to see (and taste...) the process in real time. An intricate procedure from start to finish, the care and attention to detail taken from the vineyard to the barrel is staggeringly impressive.
After a tour of the Nogueira winery and the new storage facilities, we headed to our final stop of the day: Quinta de Vargellas. It is Taylor’s prime vineyard, which is set in an idyllic part of the valley with some of the most stunning views I have ever seen. We were greeted upon arrival by Alistair Robertson and his dear wife Gilly, and were swiftly shown to our rooms then taken down onto the Douro itself for a ‘sundowner mini cruise’ and a Chip Dry Tonic whilst Alistair told us in great length and detail about the importance of both the property, the vines and the resulting wines to the firm. Vargellas produces wines that are elegant, complex and extremely well-structured; perfect for single ‘quinta vintages’, which also provide the personality and character to ‘classic vintages’ in declared years.
Following a fantastic dinner matched by exquisite wines (the Quinta da Vargellas 2004 was a particular favourite), Alistair declared it was time for everyone to get changed. Not for bed as you might assume, but to take part in the harvest and tread some grapes! After an intense day in the vineyard, workers then spent about 4 hours on an evening at the winery in the concrete tanks known as “lagares”, treading the grapes barefoot. This is a traditional and time-honoured method which despite being both expensive and laborious, is believed to still be the best way of achieving a gentle but complete extraction, in turn producing wines with fantastic structure, depth of flavour and balance.
The beginning of the treading is called the “corte” (cut), and involves crushing the grapes to release both the juice and pulp. Throughout this process, treaders are joined tightly and advance very slowly in a line across the lagar treading methodically (often to music) and in rhythm to guarantee that the grapes are thoroughly crushed. When the corte has been completed, the second stage begins. This is called the “liberdade” (liberty) and is where we all entered the frame. At this stage in the process, treaders are allowed to move freely around the lagar ensuring that the grape skins are kept submerged under the surface of the wine. After a few hours the fermentation begins and the colour, tannins and aromas from the skins are released. The treading can be aided by the use of wooden plungers called “macacos”, which punch the skins down under the surface of the wine (similar to “batonnage”). The atmosphere was not what I expected at all, it was almost like a Spanish fiesta! There was music playing, everyone was dancing, singing and laughing. Our white t-shirts were of course a target, and it wasn’t long before many purple hand and footprints adorned our chests. Taking part in the harvest by treading the grapes was an unbelievable experience and something I will never forget!
Day 3
On our final morning it was another prompt start as we said goodbye and thank you to Alistair and Gilly for their generous hospitality, and made our way back to Oporto and specifically the Taylor Fladgate cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Upon arrival back in the city, the famous skyline of bridges and terra cotta rooftops came into view from the cellars located on the south side of the river, next to the famous Yeatman Hotel. We embarked upon our tour of the historic cellars which concluded in a large tasting with a range of styles from all three houses. It was fantastic to taste again and re-asses wines we had tried throughout the duration of the trip, which helped clarify how the house styles vary and how to define them;
• Taylors: Pure, refined and powerful.
• Fonseca: Multi-layered, complex and aromatic
• Croft: Fruit forward, approachable and fun.
My top picks were (in no particular order), Taylor’s 1985, Fonseca 1985, Quinta da Roeda 2002, Fonseca Guimaraens 1998 and Taylor’s 20 Year Old Tawny...
Following the tasting we were greeted by the current CEO of Taylor’s Fladgate, Adrian Bridge who kindly talked us through some of the wines on show and a mixture of his personal favourites. Before lunch, we ventured outside where Adrian showed us the construction site for the new 100€ million ‘World of Wine’ museum, all financed by Taylor Fladgate. The expansive site (over 30,000 m2) will include a museum on the history of Porto, a museum on the cork industry, a wine school and a slow food restaurant all with the aim of attracting over 1 million visitors per year. It was truly breath-taking to see the project begin to take shape in the heart of the city and I for one cannot wait to see it completed (due to open in 2020).
And here ended my brief, yet incredible Port experience. Taking part in the Taylor Fladgate harvest 2018 visit has provided me with fantastic inside knowledge and insight into the finer details of not only the Port industry as a whole, but also a deeper understanding and appreciation for the house styles of Taylor’s, Croft and Fonseca. A truly memorable experience.
Obrigado Oporto!
