2004

The 2003/2004 winter was very dry, having only rained 1/3 of the quantity registered the previous winter. The lack of water during the early part of the growing season led to very little pressure from disease. Our concern in July was mainly one of doubting the vines capacity to ripen the grapes due to the drastic shortage of water. The...

2002

The 2001-2002 Viticultural year was one of the driest years on record.  During the winter almost no rain fell. Besides the dry winter, the temperature was extremely cold, with the Pinhão river at Cruzeiro completely freezing over at Christmas.  Just when we were waiting for the last ripening of the grapes to occur in early...

1988

A warm wet winter was followed by a dry period in the early Spring.  No rain fell at all in the Upper Douro in March, and the average temperature was 20ºC, which was unseasonably high for the time of year. No rain fell in August, and the second half of this month and the first week of September were extremely hot, the average...

First Estate Reserve

Taylor Fladgate were the first English Port shippers to visit the Douro Valley for the purpose of buying wine and in 1744 became the first to acquire a property there, Lugar das Lages, near the old town of Régua. Lugar das Lages still belongs to the company today.  A young, vibrant, rich and...

2016

The weather pattern during the growing and ripening seasons had a decisive effect on the character of the 2016 wines, with their elegance, refinement, crisp acidity and magnificent tannins. Spring was unusually wet, with heavy rain and relatively cool conditions throughout April and May. This had the benefit of restoring ground water levels,...

1975

A wet winter in 1975 was followed by a long dry Summer with almost no rain with the exception of a heavy thunderstorm in May. The harvest started on 6th October. Due to the September rain, yields were generally higher than had been expected. Reproached when young for being on the light side, the best of the 1975 Vintage Ports have defied...