Had a magical pair of 1908 Ports last evening- Cockburn and an unreleased Colheita 1908 from Taylor-Fladgate that is reserved simply for adding depth and dimension to the 40 year-old Tawny bottling. The 1908 Cockburn was beautifully delicate and resolved at this point in its evolution, with notes of desiccated cherries, orange zest, intense roses, heather, soil, candied almonds and a touch of fennel seed. On the palate the wine was medium-full and quite ethereal, with just a whisper of its spirit poking out on the finish. But a beautiful bottle at a magical point- this just got better and better in the glass. This has plenty of time still ahead of it, but what a wonderful moment to be drinking it.
The 1908 Taylor-Fladgate Colheita was sheer perfection- a deep, brilliant wine where the 100 years in cask have served to concentrate the wine a bit, so that it was more opulent and powerful wine at the core than the 1908 Cockburn. The nose is brilliant- caramelized oranges, coffee, dried cherries, cloves, a great base of soil, brown sugar and a touch of citrus peel in the upper register. On the palate this wine is full, complex and vibrant, with gorgeous acidity, laser-like focus and great length and grip on the finish. A perfect wine in every way that will live on for decades and decades.
I tried to convince Adrian Bridge of Taylor-Fladgate that a few bottles of this unearthly elixir should be randomly included in cases of the 2007 as “the golden ticket” wine, but he was not buying the idea
I gather you were with Mark last night? He brought the '08 Cockburn to a lunch at 11 Madison six years ago and it was stunning. Brought the bottle home and left the cork in and even six years later, the fumes still smell great.
Was indeed at Mark’s and it was a pity that the '08 Cockburn was paired up with the '08 Taylor Colheita- would have loved to have enjoyed it on its own, rather than compare and contrast the two. But as you mentioned, the bouquet just got better and better and is one of the most refined and floral old Ports I have had the pleasure to taste. Saw that there was a bottle coming up in the Zachy’s auction and was tempted.
I was fortunate to have the 1908 Cockburn’s in a great vertical going back to 1895 in London, late 2008 with Miguel Corte-Real the winemaker. It was one of the standouts of the entire tasting, arguably bested solely by the 1912. I’ve had several other 1908’s including Offley, Sandeman and Taylor and it is always a great pleasure to try VP from this rarified vintage when they are still showing this well.
Very interesting to learn about that Taylor Fladgate Colheita, although I am surprised it was not called a “Port of the Vintage” or “Reserve” as the Brits did not like to use the word Colheita back in the day … with very few exceptions to the rule.
“Ethereal” was the word I used in conversation with Mark an hour or so ago, before I saw your notes. I thought perhaps we might be catching it in a very graceful decline, but still a magical bottle of port.
Roy–the reason it was not called that is that it was only drawn off the cask last week! It’s from the last cask of the 1908 that has been used for blending into their 40-year-old tawny and was never intended for sale. The bottle was labeled “Taylor’s 1908 Tawny Cask Sample.”
I get that, and in May had similar samples of 1896 white (and “red”) … and an 1863 Port – directly from cask, NONE had ever been bottled. All three were called Colheitas.
No surprise as it did not come from a British producer. The only old bottlings of Colheita by a British Port shipper that I can remember having (a few times in fact) was the 1937 Warre, a few older bottles of Delaforce and some really ancient Burmester as well. The rest used other names, not Colheita. It is certainly plausible that there may be a couple of other examples that I am unaware of too.
It would have been interesting to ask Adrian, if the cask was originally a 1908 Taylor Vintage Port that did not get bottled and therefore, was left around and “became” a Colheita by hanging out in wood more than 7 years … OR IF … the original intent was to leave this around to be used for Tawny Port topping off later on?
My guess, it was the former, maybe even a lost cask that reappeared later or was found/bought back from a UK merchant, tavern owner or one of the UK’s many Port loving country squires (not to be confused with the man of the same last name).
But it would certainly be fun to know the real answer and not just my “story.”
Roy,
Adrian said it was always meant to be a tawny, and has mostly been used as part of the blend for 40 year old tawnies. Spectacular wine, very madeiraish, with the same olive green coloring. Well worth the 100 points John is likely to give it.
I think you are right, the Cockburns with its easy haunting fragrance would have been seen as extraordinary, but next door to the Taylor had little chance. Also BTW, just seemed to emphasize that an aged tawny is a much more complex animal than vintage, and seriously underrated.
Having been at the same Cockburn’s tasting as Roy last year, the 1908 Cockburn’s was an amazing Port on it’s hundreth birthday. I am glad you got the chance to try it.
Quite interesting about the Taylor’s. I wonder if this was a barrel that was originally from a TFP Quinta or if bought later on from another source for use in their aged tawny blend.
Roy,
Wasn’t it at Taylors on the Fortification trip 2007 where Adrian Bridgeman gave us a taste from a very old cask they were thinking of using in their Tawny blends? It was reared on the Douro and had the “Douro Bake” to it.
We did, of course, ask him the history of the cask, and particularly, since they held onto the cask anyway, why they would not have bottled it all in a declared vintage. His speculation, which I tend to trust, was that houses intentionally kept cask stock of great wines as a hedge against a rainy day, to have something good to sell in case of several terrible vintages in a row.
However, since the early 1940s when the Lei da Terço was put in effect, by a fairly new regulatory agency, (The Port Wine Institute began in 1933 … same year as USA’s Prohibition went out of fashion) Port shippers must retain 2/3 of their entire Port stocks each year and are allowed to sell only 1/3.
No, but wasn’t it from the 30’s? My point, maybe I should have explained better, was that it was purchased rather than produced and aged; so it’s possible that this 1908 was as well. I guess Adrian would have to clarify.
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