Late Bottled Vintage Porto 2016
Trade Tools
Portugal / Douro Valley Porto
Taylor Fladgate were pioneers of the LBV category, developed to satisfy the demand for a high quality ready-to-drink alternative to vintage port for everyday consumption. Unlike vintage port, which is bottled after only two years in wood and ages in bottle, LBV is bottled after four to six years and is ready to drink when bottled. Taylor Fladgate continues to lead the LBV category of port worldwide, in spite of the fact that many other shippers now also produce an LBV. The wines used to blend Taylor Fladgate LBV were drawn from a reserve of some of the best full bodied red ports from grapes grown on Taylor Fladgate owned vineyards and on other top properties in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior areas.
Harvest Note
Spring was unusually wet, with heavy rain and relatively cool conditions throughout April and May. This delayed the start of the ripening cycle, so véraison started late, with the first signs visible around the second week of July. From early July, hot dry conditions prevailed until well into September. Maturation was even and gradual. At the end of August, the crop was still far from ripe. Some rainfall in mid-September helped to round off the maturation and producers that delayed picking were rewarded with perfect harvesting conditions, with cool nights helping to extend fermentation times and allow for gentle extraction. The first grapes were picked at Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas on 17th September, with the Pinhão Valley estates following on the 23rd and 26th respectively.
Tasting Note
Very bright, intense fruit on the nose, blackberry aromas blending with fresher notes of raspberry and plum. On the palate, the fruit character is denser and more luscious but there is also a fresh grapey quality. Linear tannins of great quality are another hallmark of the 2016 vintage, as is the seam of racy acidity which runs through the palate. This elegant and stylish LBV displays the classic Taylor’s blend of pure, focused fruit with a sinewy muscularity and impressive depth.
Technical Data
GRAPES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
APPELLATION: Douro Valley Porto
PH: 3.68
ACIDITY: 4.0 g/l
ABV: 20%
AGING: Aged for 2 years in large, conditioned French oak vats before bottling. Will continue to age in bottle for decades.
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 103 g/l
Unique Selling Points
- A Late Bottled Vintage Porto from the inventor of the category
- LBV offer the characteristics of Vintage Port but with no bottle aging required
“As the inventors of the late bottled vintage category, I believe it is important for us to set very high standards for this excellent Port.”
Adrian Bridge, CEO
About the Grape
Tinta Amarela
Tinta Amarela makes wines with intensely perfumed aromas of blackberry and tea, bold structure, deep color and excellent depth.
Tinta Barroca
Used to make Port wines, this high yielding grape has very high sugar content, which makes wines with pronounced floral character, good structure and firm, ripe tannins.
Tinta Cão
This grape has blackberry, game and meaty aromas, and contributes longevity and exceptional elegance to the blend of Port wines.
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Roriz produces deep-colored grapes of moderate acidity which make bold wines with firm tannins, excellent complexity and distinctive resin-like fragrance.
Touriga Franca
This grape has high tannins and is very aromatic; it lends structure and balance to Port wines. It shows intense fresh red fruit, earth and flower aromas, and is very fruity on the palate.
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional produces wine with finesse, body and warmth that is dark, concentrated, massively tannic and aromatic. It ages to show the complex aromas typically found in mature vintage port.
