TAYLOR FLADGATE
DOURO, PORTUGAL 1976
The year: 1976. Bell-bottoms sashaying across shag-carpeted living rooms, hair flowing down the shoulders, disco balls spraying their fragmented light over the dance floor.
And unbeknownst to the world, something extraordinary was just getting started in its Portuguese oak casks.
Here we are now, fifty years later, and this half-century-old wine has emerged from its cellar with majesty and authority: Taylor Fladgate's latest Single Harvest Tawny Port.
This is the tenth in their series of wines that treat patience as more than a virtue and something akin, almost, to holiness.
The aromatics alone have justified the wait: dried apricot and rum babá dip and dance with blood orange marmalade, while deeper currents of caramel and butterscotch add weight and depth, but without the expected heaviness. I want to linger on that, because it’s remarkable that, after five decades, there’s nothing at all ponderous about this; it exudes such vivacity and tension and energy. A tip of the hat to the note of crisp acidity that threads through everything, keeping the proceedings bright and defined. The finish is its own cause for celebration — long, delicate, and persistent.
Taylor Fladgate's approach to these releases reflects a kind of institutional confidence that is rare in any company, and can only be chalked up to three centuries of Port-making expertise.
They hold one of the world's most extensive reserves of very old cask-aged Port, but more important that that is the high standards they have set for themselves with the release of these back-in-time bottlings. Each vintage must earn its place in this series, or, to put it another way — only what is exquisite will do.
Our recommendation is to give it a slight chill and open it up alongside a crème brûlée, though, of course, it's equally magnificent solo and as the final act of the night.
Once opened, it will maintain its composure for up to two months … assuming, that is, that you possess the self-control of a monk. As for us, we're not so disciplined.
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure that your wines arrive as they should, and as you deserve: with perfect provenance guaranteed. Secure yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NY, OK & TN. This offer will expire on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026.