Saint George’s Day, 23rd April, is the date on which Taylor’s and other top Port houses traditionally announce the release of a new Vintage Port. It has been eagerly awaited by Vintage Port enthusiasts seeking the verdict on the 2010 vintage.
The harvest of 2010 was a productive one in the Douro Valley and yields were relatively high. The torrential rainfall of the preceding winter created plentiful reserves of ground water. This meant that the vines, particularly those in well-established vineyards with their more developed root systems, were not deprived of water in spite of the hot, dry conditions which prevailed for much of the ripening season. The crop was therefore uniformly healthy with full berries yielding plenty of juice.
As a result 2010 produced elegant, well balanced and relatively approachable Ports. Although these very attractive and expressive wines do not have the tannic ‘grip’ and austerity required for a Vintage Port, they will make exceptionally good material for Late Bottled Vintage.
Taylor’s has therefore made the decision not to bottle a classic or a single quinta Vintage Port from 2010 and allocate the top wines of the year to LBV.
While this may be a disappointment for Vintage Port lovers and collectors, the good news is that, although some bottle sizes are now sold out, there are still stocks available of the oustanding Taylor Vintage 2009, one of the finest of recent classic vintages as well as a small amount of the very rare Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas ‘Vinha Velha’ 2009 Vintage Port.