The 2018 Taylor’s Vintage Port comes predominantly from two vineyards: Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta de Terra Feita. It has a classy, aristocratic bouquet, a signature note apropos Taylor’s Vintage: dense black fruit with touches of melted tar, cloves and white pepper. This just builds and builds in the glass. The palate is very harmonious with fine tannins, perfect acidity and very pure with a gentle, almost caressing second half. White pepper interlaces the black fruit with a very precise finish. Pure class. 97 points

The 2018 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very old and large wooden vats. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. This is the third straight declaration (2016, 2017 and this 2018) of a classic Vintage Port for Taylor`s. Of those three, this so far would be my least favorite, but it`s close and time will tell. Aromatic and expressive, this adds a big bang for a finish that reminds you that it is, indeed, Taylor`s. After opening it on the first day tasted, it tightened fast and showed the structure I like to see in serious Ports. It has that classic flavor profile as well and shows fine concentration. Even 48 hours later it had no problem showing off a little muscle, even though it drank decently at that point. The fruit is expressive, as noted, but it is still a bit closed just now. 95 points

Blackish crimson. Neat-looking. Pepper and herbs on the nose – almost makes you want to sneeze. And again the voluptuous fruit almost kids you that you could drink this now but instead there is a massive charge of fine tannin underneath. This is definitely not for sipping now but is a monument for the future. Rather dry and refined as opposed to opulent. (Go to Fonseca Guimaraens for opulence.) Very long, dry and savoury overall within the vintage port canon. 17.5++ points