Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto 2003 | 750 ml.

SP92+ Wine Spectator Jul 31, 2005

"[Barrel tasting] This is solid and powerful, with the dense mouthfeel of a big and rich young Port. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. Very tight and muscular. Almost 95–100. I expected a little more, but it could turn out even better after bottling." (92–94 pts.)

SP94 Wine Spectator Apr 30, 2006

"Lovely aromas of currant, blackberry and licorice. Full-bodied, with medium sweetness and layers of ripe, round, velvety tannins. Flavorful finish. More round and refined than from barrel. Best after 2014." (94 pts.)

WE97 Wine Enthusiast 2/1/2007

"Inky purple in color, this youngest Taylor vintage Port boasts a floral, wonderfully open and appealing bouquet, backed by layers of rich fruit. What makes this wine extra special is the seductive texture — somewhere between creamy and syrupy — and ample length. Hold." (97 pts.)

ST93+ Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar Jan/Feb 2006

"Bright, saturated ruby. Vibrant, pure aromas of blackberry, violet and bitter chocolate. Juicy, minerally, precise and penetrating, but quite primary and unevolved today. Shows strong but integrated acidity and a tight kernel of fruit. Best today on the slow-building, rising, aristocratic finish. But today the wine’s tannins are less obvious than its acids. This seems distinctly less ripe and chewy that the great 2000 Taylor’s but it’s still extremely unevolved. Latour-like in its structure and reserve." (93+ pts.)

WS96 Wine & Spirits December 1, 2005

"The 2003 vintage surrounds Taylor’s classically hard-core iron grip with fruit that’s generous, succulent and rich. The aromas of violets and spice seem to rise out of a blast of black rock, the muscular tannin inseparable from the fresh fruit. Though the ripeness and richness of the vintage tends to blur many of the distinctions among the best Ports, the relatively dry style of Taylor stands out, the extreme power of its structure bringing to mind a wrought iron fence stretching off into the distance. Winemaker David Guimaraens describes 2003 as a concentrating year, and points to 1966 as a parallel to the vintage. Likely the longest lived of the ’03s, this should be drinking best from 2033 through 2055, then mature into a firm old age for decades after." (96 pts.)