94 points Pierre Rovani writing for the Wine Advocate: "The inky, purple-colored, opaque 2003 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port soars from the glass, revealing dates, black cherries, copious flowers, and plums. Full-bodied, broad, and lush, this top-flight wine is harmonious and exhibits stupendous purity of fruit. Blueberries, cherries, and candied strawberries can be found in its nuanced, lengthy, plum-laced core as well as in its immensely long, dried berry-tinged finish. Drink this beauty between 2020 and 2045+." (10/05) 92-94 points Wine Spectator: "Pretty, grapey, blackberry and light plum aromas. Full-bodied, with medium sweetness, this Port builds on your palate with velvety tannins and a sweet finish. Balanced and well structured.." (07/05)
97 points Wine Spectator. "A big, tough Port for long-term aging. It underlines what people mean when they say a great young vintage Port should overpower one's plate with fruit and tannin. Inky color, with perfumed cherry and berry aromas, full-bodied, with tons of tannins, intense cherry and berry flavors and a lingering finish..." (Web 89) 95 points Robert Parker: "This house tends to produce quite full-bodied, rich, alcoholic, spirited vintage ports that never have a great deal of complexity or finesse but offer meaty, chocolaty, spicy, full-bodied, alcoholic flavors at the expense of elegance. The 1985 was placed in a tasting where I also inserted the 1983 Cockburn as a ringer. I was surprised to find out, upon revealing the wines, that the massive blockbuster of the tasting was the 1983, and the soft, intensely fruity, forward wine was the 1985. While the 1983 is superior to the 1985, the latter wine should offer rich, opulent, multidimensional flavors in 5-6 years." (01/89)
92 points Robert Parker: "Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port. If Fonseca lacks the sheer weight and power of a Taylor, Dow or Warre, or the opulent sweetness and intensity of a Graham, it excels in its magnificently complex, intense bouquet of plummy, cedary, spicy fruit and long, broad, expansive flavors. With its lush, seductive character, one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage ports. When it is young, it often loses out in blind tastings to the heavier, weightier, more tannic wines, but I always find myself upgrading my opinion of Fonseca after it has had 7-10 years of age. The 1983 is magnificently scented, full-bodied, creamy, rather forward, but showing great length and character." (01/89) 90 points Wine Spectator: "...Deep, dark purple-ruby, with an intense, ripe raisin and mint nose, full-bodied, with raisin flavors, full tannins and a long finish." (Web 89)
95 points Wine Spectator: "A hard, take-no-prisoners Port, extremely powerful and still closed when last tasted. Deep inky color, with concentrated blackberry and raisin aromas, full-bodied, with massive raisin flavors, a superb backbone and a very long finish." (Web only, 1989) 5 stars from Broadbent: "Deep, intense; malty; powerful, great potential… well endowed with fruit, alcohol and tannin for longevity. My style of wine. Magnificent." 90 points Robert Parker: "Fonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port. If Fonseca lacks the sheer weight and power of a Taylor, Dow or Warre, or the opulent sweetness and intensity of a Graham, it excels in its magnificently complex, intense bouquet of plummy, cedary, spicy fruit and long, broad, expansive flavors. With its lush, seductive character, one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage ports. When it is young, it often loses out in blind tastings to the heavier, weightier, more tannic wines, but I always find myself upgrading my opinion of Fonseca after it has had 7-10 years of age. The 1985 looks to be one of the top successes of the vintage, yet I believe both the superb 1983 and the otherworldly 1977 are far superior. Dense ruby/purple with the Oriental spice-box aroma, the 1985 is an expansive, sweet, broadly flavored wine with outstanding depth, concentration, and balance. It finishes with a solid lashing of alcohol and tannin."
94 points Wines Spectator: "I have always been a fan of this very fine and well-made Port. Truly balanced in character, with focused flowers, spice and cherry. Full-bodied, with a sweet palate and a fine texture." (12/99) According to Michael Broadbent: "Fairly deep and youthfully plum-coloured; excellent nose, fragrant, forthcoming. Sweet, full-bodied, nice texture...A rich exciting drink with considerable future."
According to the Wine Spectator: "This is a very attractive, mature and subtle wine. Medium ruby with a garnet edge, leafy vanilla and cherry aromas, medium-bodied, with a very good concentration of clean fruit flavors and a medium finish." (12/89)
91 points Wine Spectator: "Has great elegance and harmony, and should continue to improve for many years. Medium ruby-red, with very fresh plum aromas, medium-bodied, with very delicate fresh fruit flavors, lively acidity and a delicate finish." (01/89)
94 points Wine Spectator: "This is an extremely full-bodied, powerful wine, but it still retains a classy balance. Deep ruby, with chocolate and berry aromas, full-bodied, with anise and dried cherry flavors, full, hard tannins and a long finish." 93 points Robert Parker.
97 points Wine Spectator: "Good ruby color still. The nose is fresh, with lots of crushed berry and plum, with a hint of piecrust. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a caressing texture. This delivers loads of complex fruit and spiciness. Medium-sweet. A beauty. Will improve for decades, but why wait? '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now." (Web 08) 96 points Robert Parker: "This house must certainly be the Latour of Portugal. Their ports are remarkably backward yet still impressive when young. Of all the vintage ports, those of Taylor need the longest time to mature and even when fully mature seem to have an inner strength and firmness that keep them going for decades. Their tawnys are also among the very best, though somewhat expensive. The 1977 has consistently been at the top of my list of vintage ports in this great vintage, although the Dow, Graham, and Fonseca are equally splendid. It is a mammoth, opaque, statuesque vintage port of remarkable depth and power, but is should not be touched before 2000." (01/89)
97 points Wine Spectator: "Amazing color. Dark ruby center, with just a hint of garnet. This is very impressive on the nose. Crushed raspberry, coffee, licorice and chocolate. Complex. What a palate. Big, rich and powerful, yet balanced and pleasing. Full, medium-sweet and caressing. Silky. Drink it for the rest of your life. Why wait? Underrated around the world. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now." (Web 08)
100 points and a Cellar Selection designation from the Wine Spectator: "Hold on to your hat. This is the best Fonseca since 1977, and it's probably even better than that classic vintage--more like the breathtaking 1948. Mind-blowing, with masses of color, aroma and fruit flavor. Smells like fermenting berries, boasting loads of crushed grape, violet and berry character. Big, full-bodied and very sweet, with tons of tannins and a sweet finish. Tannic and huge, it's a long-term, great Port. Best after 2012. 8,000 cases made." (04/97) 97 points Robert Parker: "One of the most spectacular 1994s, this opaque purple-colored wine is an exotic, flamboyant, ostentatious port. Extremely fragrant and pungent, with a flashy display of jammy cassis, pepper, licorice, and truffles, this port is an attention-grabber. Awesomely rich, and full-bodied, with superb length, richness, and overall balance, it possesses a huge mid-palate, layers of flavor, an unctuous texture, and a blockbuster finish. Everything is in place, with the brandy and tannin well-integrated, even concealed by the masses of fruit and glycerin. This wine will drink fabulously well at age ten, but keep for up to thirty years. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2035." (10/96)
92 points Wine Spectator: "Extremely impressive, with beautifully balanced, harmonious sweet fruit on the palate. Medium ruby-red, ripe cherry and cassis aromas, medium-bodied, with rich, velvety fruit flavors, full, soft tannins and a powerful finish." (12/89)
100 points Robert Parker: "Taylor's 1992 Vintage Port is unquestionably the greatest young port I have ever tasted. It represents the essence of what vintage port can achieve. The color is an opaque black/purple, and the nose offers up fabulously intense aromas of minerals, cassis, blackberries, licorice, and spices, as well as extraordinary purity and penetration. Yet this is still an unformed and infantile wine. If Chateau Latour made a late-harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, I suspect it might smell like this. In the mouth, the wine is out of this world, displaying layer upon layer of concentrated black fruits backed by well-integrated tannin and structure. This is a massive, magnificently rich, full-bodied port that will be far more flattering in its youth than were such Taylors as the 1983, 1977, or 1970. It possesses awesome fruit, marvelous intensity, and lavish opulence, all brilliantly well-delineated by the wine's formidable structure. This monumental 30-50 year port is a must purchase for port aficionados.! Also noteworthy is the fact that the 1992 Taylor commemorates the 300th anniversary of this firm, as evidenced by the special bottle Taylor used for this port." (02/95) 96 points Wine Spectator: "Fresh and lively, with raisin, spice and hints of blackberry. Full-bodied and very tight, with plenty of tannins. Very long. Needs to open." (05/05)
100 points Wine Spectator: "What a Vintage Port. Dark ruby center, with a dark garnet edge. Aromas of flowers, blackberry and licorice. Subtle and complex. Wow. What a palate. Full, concentrated and rich, yet balanced and beautiful. Solid and sleepy. Still not giving all it has to give. This is just coming around. Gorgeous and classy. Love it. '77/'85/'97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now." (Web 08)
According to Clive Coates: "Very fine on the nose, with rich, very blackcurranty , very concentrated fruit. Full and complete on the palate, lovely concentrated, velvety-rich, stylish wine. This is splendid! Very long on the palate. Will still improve." (The Vine, 11/86) A beauty from Taylor - a name that's been synonymous with outstanding Port for more than 300 years.
97 points from the Wine Spectator: "This is still a monster that needs time. Deep ruby, with a ripe, meaty cassis and berry nose, full-bodied, with tons of velvety fruit flavors, full tannins and a very long finish." (01/89)
92 points Wine Spectator: "Tasted from magnum. This is a wonderfully silky and rich wine. Deep and concentrated raspberry and cherry character, with a hint of spice. Full-bodied and very sweet, with layers of fruit and a long finish." (12/99) 92 points Robert Parker: "This is an extraordinary house that seems to have been particularly successful with its vintage port since 1977.The 1963 is a classic, a monumental, rich, still tannic wine that will last at least another 30 years." (01/89)
97 points Wine Spectator: "A big wine with superb balance, a shining example of this exuberantly fruity vintage. Deep ruby, with violets and coffee on the nose, full-bodied, with dried cherry flavors and plenty of tannin, balanced and long on the finish." (01/89) 95 points Robert Parker: "This house must certainly be the Latour of Portugal. Their ports are remarkably backward yet still impressive when young. Of all the vintage ports, those of Taylor need the longest time to mature and even when fully mature seem to have an inner strength and firmness that keep them going for decades. Their tawnys are also among the very best, though somewhat expensive. The 1963 is quite fabulous yet still seemingly capable of developing for another decade or more." (01/89)
97 points Wine Spectator: "This is a monumental wine with a great balance of fruit and tannin. Medium ruby with a garnet edge, enticing nose of bitter chocolate and plums, full-bodied, with chocolate and raspberry flavors, medium tannins and a very long finish." 96 points Robert Parker.
For over 300 years, Taylor's name has been synonymous with excellence. Enjoy this bottle from a remarkable Port vintage. According to the Wine Spectator: "Some people may expect more from such a superb vintage, but this is still very good indeed. It is a racy wine with a fruit bowl of flavors. Medium red with a garnet edge, chocolate and vanilla aromas, medium-bodied, with sweet berry flavors and a lovely finish." (Web only, 1989)
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Janeiro de 2008
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