 |
|
|
Situated high in the mountain reaches of the Upper Douro, Quinta de Vargellas is the jewel in Taylor’s crown. Acquired in 1893, at the time when phylloxera was at its most destructive in the area the harvest at the Quinta was a beggarly six pipes. By the time the famous years of 1908 and 1912 had arrived, Vargellas was producing 100 of the 300 or so pipes Taylor’s declared as a Vintage. |
 |
Today 67,81 hectares of the Quinta is under vine producing 245 pipes (1,348 hectolitres) of port wine.
Quinta de Vargellas is also bottled as a single quinta vintage port in years when an overall Taylor’s Vintage is not declared. Made from grapes grown entirely on the quinta the wine is aged in wood for two years and then bottled in the same way as a declared vintage.
Taylor’s were the first Company to commercialise their single quinta ports with the launch of their Quinta de Vargellas 1958 Vintage Port. The reputation of these wines have acquired a stature greater than that of many shippers declared vintages. Usually maturing earlier than the declared Taylor’s years, which are famed for their longevity, Quinta de Vargellas vintage ports are cellared in Oporto until they are ready to drink, so by passing the need for customer investment. A carefully planned planting programme of the very best of the authorised vines has been in force ever since, giving the estates 225,000 vines the prize Casa do Douro ‘A’ classification. The grape varieties break down as follows:
Quinta de Sao Xisto which lies alongside Vargellas was purchased in 1999. Now part of Quinta de Vargellas, this west facing 46 hectare site that is currently being extensively replanted. It is expected the new plantings will come into production in 2005 - 2010.
