Colheita Single Harvest Port Includes Taylor’s Oak Gift Box

Taylor’s has an extensive and enviable library of very old Ports and this very limited 60 year old Single Harvest Port which represents the cream of their aged reserves.

Only 3,000 bottles of this phenomenal Port have been released. Nestled in a beautifully illustrated box, we think this limited-edition Port is the ultimate 60th anniversary gift. Or, with its fabulously festive flavour profile, it may well be the perfect Christmas Port.

The cool Taylor’s Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia are home to one of the most extensive collections of very old Port casks anywhere in the world. Tucked away are a selection of Single Harvest Ports with an immense capacity to age and develop. The Limited Edition Very Old Single Harvest Tawny Port 1961, made six decades ago, is a perfect example.
Matured for so long that it has taken on a glorious walnut colour, this tawny-style Port displays notes of sultana, dried fig, marzipan, butterscotch, marmalade, treacle, tobacco, tea leaf, cedar, vanilla and pepper spice. We really want to sit down and sip this rich, sweet and velvety Port alongside sticky Medjool dates stuffed with candied orange peel and almonds. But it would be equally as gorgeous with Florentines, mince pies, Christmas cake, baklava, crème brûlée, chocolate-based desserts or vanilla ice cream scattered with walnuts and maple syrup.

Robert Parker once described Taylor’s as “the Latour of Portugal”, and it’s a very fitting description, especially when you look at the rarity and longevity of wines like this one. Taylor’s is the archetypal Port house, synonymous with this style of wine. This is proven by the Royal Warrant it holds as one of the Suppliers of Port Wine to Her Majesty The Queen. Although steeped in history, as you would expect of a family-run business established in 1692, the forward-thinkers at Taylor’s are also committed to sustainable viticulture and have installed solar panels on three of their properties.

Often referred to as Colheitas, these single harvest Tawny ports are a far cry from vintage port with very slow and gentle ageing in oak casks creating ports of extreme aromatic complexity with delightfully mellow structure. And the 1961 Port vintage was of one outstanding quality – ideal growing conditions produced what is now a classic vintage – universally declared by all the major port houses.

Taylors wine maker review:
Pale mahogany core surrounded by a broad pale gold rim with subtle olive highlights. On first impression, the wine is lifted and ethereal but soon begins to unfurl layer after layer of multi-dimensional aroma. First to emerge are notes of sawn wood and cigar leaf, against a background of cedar, balsam and citrus. These are followed by a warmer, mellow redolence of marzipan walnut and coffee, notes of sultana and plum and spicy hints of black pepper and cardamon. Finally, the nose opens up a discrete savoury dimension.

On the palate, the wine has a smooth velvety texture. Rich dense and sumptuous, it coats the tongue with opulent mellow flavour, coffee and butterscotch with hints of walnut and candied orange peel, but with a remarkable freshness from the current lively acidity which runs through the palate into th extraordinary long finish. A wonderfully elegant, finely constituted and beautifully matured port delivering a surge of rich flavour with every sip.

Colheita Port Storage and Serving Advice:
Colheita Port should be stored in a cool and dry place, sheltered from light and temperature fluctuations, and the bottle should remain in an upright position. If stored correctly, Colheita Ports will keep for decades in the bottle. Over time, it is natural that a little sediment will form at the bottom of a bottle of colheita Port wine. Once opened colheita Port should be stored in a fridge and should be consumed within 3 months. Colheita Ports do not require decanting and are best served at a temperature between 14 and 16°C.

Learn more about Colheita Port