13
Apr
2021
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(February 2021) … The Kingsmen movie has been delayed and with it a special edition Port wine from Taylor Fladgate - the movie features the Port and since the movie is set in the 1920s Taylor felt it needed to reflect the time period in its tie-in beverage.
With more than 10,000 casks in their library it was not hard for Taylor to dig deep for what they were looking for. The average age of the Kingsman Edition Port is about 90 years ... The oldest casks they used were approximately 100 years old - using those for the richness they were looking for; the "youngest" casks held 70-year-old port wine - used to keep the "freshness and balance" (funny that 70-year-old port is considered "fresh", but when you are looking also at 100-year-old barrels and looking to produce an average age of 90 - 70 does seem fresh and new).
The release of the film is a moving target and trying to stay away from the juggernaut that will be the new 007 movie (set at time of tasting for spring 2021) - so Kingsman should hit some time in the fall (now December 2021). 1,000 bottles of this limited / special edition Port have been made for the worldwide market - approximately 100 will be directed to Canada, will retail for around $5,000 and come in special packaging - pictured below.
As for what a 90-year-old tawny port tastes like:
First, if you're looking for fruit, it's mostly non-existent, but there is plenty of fig, pecan pie and nutty character including hazelnuts and almonds. Palate is thick and rich with burnt caramel and even a hint of mocha latte notes. Interesting to also note is that the acidity is really tight and on-point.
More Port Reviews …
Taylor Fladgate 10-Year-Old Tawny
$35.95 - #121749
This thick and tasty popular port has the mouthfeel, taste and aroma of a 10-year-old port - which is to say the fruit is still alive and kicking with a mix of dried and fresh cherry, plus great backing acidity and a long sweet finish. (****)
Taylor's 20-Year-Old Tawny
$69.95 - #149047
The 20-Year has consistently been my favorite of the Tawnies over the years, and once again it delivers: that dried cherry note comes roaring through and it's definitely less syrupy than the 10-Year; plus, those dried fruits turn a little towards the nutty (hazelnuts and almonds), there has even been some development towards fig and date notes for good measure. Acidity keeps this from going over the top sweet. (****+)
Taylor's 2015 LBV (Late Bottled Vintage)
$18.90 - #46946
My first love in the Port world was late bottled vintage port and when made well they can also age a pretty long time. A good LBV has all the great lush fruit, some cool secondary characteristics and finishes with balancing acidity ... The 2015 delivers on the black cherry, cassis, blackberry and plum - it's a fresh, lively and dark fruited affair plus there are some smokey and licorice nuances all leading to a long finish that bursts the fruit bubble with a good acid punch. (****+)
Croft 2017 Vintage Port
$128.00 - #12082
It always breaks my heart to open a Vintage Port before it's time - it feels like I'm committing infanticide ... This beauty Vintage is rough and rugged around the outside (read: tannins), but has a great fruit core that will have this delivering in 10 / 20 or even 30 years, depending on your patience level. Coffee, mocha and licorice start the palate and nose off before layering in blackberry, black plum, black cherry and even a touch of vanilla - it drinks well now but will really reward time on its side, as it definitely has time on its side. (****+)
19
Mar
2021
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(November 11, 2020) … A five-wine tasting, from 187ml bottles (cool), to look at the newest vintages of the Anthologia portfolio from Torres ... The “Anthologia” wines are described as the “creme de la crème” of the Torres portfolio of wines, these are limited in production and all made from company owned vineyards.
2017 Milmanda
History: “Milmanda was part of a root of medieval castles that gave shelter to Christians during the time of the reconquest period in the XIIth century peace came to these lands and vinegrowing began anew. Today, it is at the foot of [these] castle walls that the Torres family grows the Chardonnay that produces Milmanda."
The vines were planted in the 1980s and the wine is made using 300L barrels, 50% new wood (all French) and partial (50%) malolactic fermentation ... It remains in wood for around 4 to 6 months to retain its freshness.
The Wine Note ... 100% Chardonnay from Spain that actually tastes like Chardonnay – fresh with good acidity, lots of apple and lemon, hints of vanilla and butter, all mingle together but without being overpowered by the wood. Quite possibly the best Chardonnay from Spain I've had, and definitely the best I've had from Torres - this is quite impressive. Rating: ****
2016 Mas La Plana
History: “The first vintage of Mas La Plana was in the year 1970 with the name “Gran Coronas Etiqueta Negra”. The wine soon gained international recognition, winning in 1979 the wine Olympics in Paris, organized by the Gault-Millau magazine. The best French wines participated in this competition. In its beginnings, the wine Incorporated small amounts of Tempranillo, but the main variety was always Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 1978, the wine is made exclusively with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mas La Plana is a 29-hectare planting of Cabernet Sauvignon started back in the 1960s, at 300 m of elevation. The two soils within the vineyard create two very different outcomes with the grapes and while they are the same variety “it is like using two different grapes – so the wine is a “blend” of these grapes." interesting to note that during the making of this wine smaller grapes see wood fermenters while larger grapes go into steel. As for the old vine material – there is less of it every year, back in the 90’s 20% of the vines were replanted and 12 to 15% get renewed annually.
The Wine Note ... Lots of dark fruit like black cherry, kicks the wine off and continues to be at the heart of each sip – hits of mocha and spice also make an appearance with notes of violet on the finish. There's a nice purity and freshness to the wine with good acidity, while the cedar and tannins fight it out on the finish where a dichotomy of silky and gritty battle for supremacy. Rating: ****
2016 Real Reserva
History: “Reserva Real was first produced in 1995 following up the visit of Juan Carlos I King of Spain to our winery. Reserva Real is one of our “Anthologia” wines with a very limited production. It comes from a very strict sorting of the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes from one of our parcels of Les Arnes (4 hectares only).”
The vineyard is 4 hectares in the middle of a forest that is full of slate and rocky soils (odd for Penedes) – the wine name actually translates to “Reserve of the King" – this vintage is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon / 15% Cabernet Franc and 12% Merlot aged 18 months in French barrels (90 plus percent new).
The Wine Note ... Floral and red fruit on the nose with good acid and spice leading the charge on the palate – plenty of dark fruit with a gentle smokiness and even some baked-cherry on the finish. Rating: *** ½+
2016 Grans Muralles
History: “The wine owes its name to the walls that protected the Poblet Monastery from mercenaries and wars. The unique identity of Grans Muralles rests on the stony slate grounds (Licorella and Granite) of the region and the great varieties grown there. A century after the phylloxera plague, the Torres family managed to recover native varieties believed to be extinct such as Garro or Querol using modern viticultural techniques. These great varieties together with Carinena, Garnacha and Monastrell, preserve the spirit of this unique wine.”
This 5 grape blend is unusual because it has “found" grape varieties – quite literally – in its make up - Garro and Querol were found in the backyards of fellow countrymen during a project where the Torres family invited people who had unknown varieties growing in their yard to come forth and Torres would DNA test them. The five grapes here are Grenache 42% (adding intensity of fruit), Carignan 40% (gives the tannin structure), Monastrell 5% (fruity) while the Garro and Querol, 3% and 10% respectively, (add seasoning to the blend). When asked about finding new vineyards to plant our host replied that it is a slow process: “when we explore a grape variety like Grenache in certain areas and regions we only have one chance per year to learn." 
The Wine Note ... Lovely, silky and smooth with subtle tannins and lots of fruit, both dark and red cherry with hints of vanilla and red licorice – soft, supple and sippable a nice balance of acidity, does a nice job of hiding that 14.5% alcohol. Rating: ****+
2017 Mas de la Rosa
History: “Mas de la Rosa is one of the most hidden and beautiful valleys in the Priorat, place that historically was one of the first inhabited “masias” (Catalan word for farmhouse) in the area of Porrera. The whole Vineyard field blend of Garnacha and Carinena is about 80 years old, planted in “bush vines”. The vineyard only gets the morning sunshine, due to its orientation, and this, together with an altitude of about 500m above sea level and its aeration, provide a wine with naturally fresh characteristics.
The wine is a field blend of mainly Carignan and Grenache planted back in 1945, it's a two hectare piece of land located at the top of the hill with a 30% slope ... where only hand-harvesting is possible – the vines are also planted as ‘bush vines’. This is only the second vintage of this wine.
The Wine Note ... Simply put this wine is silky and juicy with lots of red berry notes (strawberry and cherry) with good acidity holding it all together ... It's fresh and lively with delicate floral notes and amazing freshness – the 14% alcohol is imperceptible and is just a beautiful wine to sip and contemplate the beauty of the world and the wisdom of keeping older vines in production. Rating: ****+
