In keeping with tradition, Taylor’s makes its declaration of Vintage Port on April 23rd, St. George’s Day, the patron saint of England. This year, Taylor’s is launching Sentinels Vintage Port 2023, only the second bottling of this distinguished new Vintage, first introduced last year with the 2022 Vintage.

Following the success of the inaugural 2022 release, Taylor’s Sentinels Vintage Port 2023 is another remarkable expression of the deep, complex, and fruity character that defines the Pinhão Valley’s historic vineyards. Sourced from Taylor’s four prestigious estates – Terra Feita, Junco, Casa Nova, and Eira Velha – this new release builds upon the first release, further cementing Taylor’s dedication to producing wines of exceptional quality and complexity.

When the Douro was first demarcated in 1756 the area producing the very best Ports were known as ‘Feitoria’ and authorised for export. This sub region was marked by stone pillars, or ‘marcos de feitoria’. The four Taylor properties included in the Sentinels blend are to be found in this sub zone.

The name ‘Sentinels’ pays tribute to the iconic granite posts, therefore continuing the long-standing tradition of making the very finest ports from what has long been considered the finest part of the demarcated area.

Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Taylor’s, commented, “We are incredibly proud to introduce Taylor’s Sentinels Vintage Port 2023. This release continues our tradition of producing wines that celebrate the rich heritage of the Douro Valley and Taylor’s estates. Taylor’s Sentinels is a celebration of our heritage, and this latest vintage reaffirms its place among our most distinguished offerings.”

The blend of the 2023 vintage was carefully selected using a ‘component selection’ method, ensuring that the final wine embodies the distinctive characteristics of each estate, while bringing together their diverse elements to create a harmonious and balanced wine. Each estate contributes unique qualities from the altitude, sun exposure, and grape varieties, producing a wine that is both powerful and refined, with a deep fruitiness and a complexity that reflects the careful craftsmanship of Taylor’s winemaking team.

David Guimaraens, Head Winemaker at Taylor’s, remarked, “Following the good growing season of 2023 the rainfall that occurred in early September was both welcome for the more stressed vineyards, but also limited the number of fine parcels available to us. One of the defining factors of making vintage port, like Taylor’s Sentinels, is that I can select the best parcels from the properties and blend them together to show the true expression of the Pinhão Valley’s terroir.

David also noted that, “as with the first vintage, Taylor’s Sentinels Vintage Port 2023 has the potential to age gracefully in the bottle, with a long life ahead. However, it is equally approachable and enjoyable in its youth, offering wine enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the exceptional character of the Pinhão Valley from the very first taste.”

The Taylor’s Sentinels Vintage Port 2023 will be available for purchase globally from selected distributors and retailers, offering collectors and wine lovers a rare opportunity to own a part of Taylor’s legacy.

 

NOTES ON THE 2023 VITICULTURAL YEAR

2023 was welcomingly wet following a very dry cycle in previous years. 2022 was one of the direst years in recent history with only 354 mm’s of rain recorded in the growing season. In the winter of 2023, we had 484 mm’s of rain which was fundamental in replenishing our much needed ground reserves.

Budburst started on the 18th March, three days later than our 21 year average which is the 15th March. The month was followed by a very hot, dry April that very much characterized the beginning of our season. The growth of the vines flourished with the warmth of the hot spring and we saw the season two weeks ahead of the usual.

Flowering occurred on the 1st May in all the lower altitude vineyards of the Douro. Following the wet winter and the warm spring we had a vital rejuvenation of the vineyards following the very hot and dry 2022 season.

We had a wet period between the 22nd May and 10th June where we had 96mm’s of rain in Pinhão with a lot of threat of mildew which kept the team on its toes in taking care of the vineyards. During this period, we had 13 days of yellow warnings for hail storms, which did occur in different parts of the region, but fortunately these were localized to a few small areas.

However challenging the outbreak of mildew was, the rainfall was very welcome to maintain the water reserves.

Veraison was registered in Pinhão on the 7th July which was 4 days later than in 2017 which was an equally advanced season. July itself had a mean temperature of 24.5c which is considered to be average. But, contrary to the usual, this year August was extremely hot where we had an average temperature of 26.2c which was particularly felt towards the end of August, when on the 21st and 22nd we recorded two days above 45c, which had a tremendous impact across the vineyards. In the lower lying vineyards, there was a lot of sunburn, but in the less exposed medium altitude vineyards this heat was very welcoming for the advance of the ripening of the grapes.

Picking in the region started in the middle of August with white grapes, but for our red grapes we waited until the 4th of September, as on the 3rd September we had 13mm of rainfall in Pinhão that gave a last touch to the final ripening of the grapes, which led to grapes being picked under good conditions.

However, another factor that marked this harvest was a second period of rain on the 10th September where in Pinhão 26mm fell, with quite a lot of intensity. This created a pause in the harvest but then the weather cleared up and gave way to another week of good quality grapes coming in. That was until we had the third incident of rain when on the 16th September, 60mm of rain fell which really dictated the change of the harvest and from that point forward it then became a race against time to bring our remaining grapes into our wineries and close out the vintage.

TASTING NOTE

Deep intense purple black core with a fine violet rim. The nose is built on a sturdy foundation of luscious, rich blackcurrant, blackberry and cherry aromas, intertwined with damsons and apricot. Notes of gum cistus and mint dance on the nose giving vibrancy and freshness.

Extraordinary quality of ripe fruit, mouth-filling tannins and sumptuous blackberry with a whisp of dark chocolate. A pleasant touch of cedar, a hint of licorice and a silky long finish. This wine displays the hedonistic, generous quality of Taylor’s Pinhão Valley estates.

 

TAYLOR’S PINHÃO VALLEY ESTATES

QUINTA DE TERRA FEITA

A traditional component of Taylor’s classic Vintage Ports, the wines of Quinta de Terra Feita are full-bodied, powerful and full of rich berry fruit flavour. They provide depth and volume to the blend.  Located on the warm lower slopes of the Pinhão Valley, Terra Feita is one of the oldest port estates.

Already identified as a source of the finest ports in the 1757 classification of Douro vineyards, Terra Feita has supplied Taylor’s with outstanding wines since the 1890’s. Acquired by Taylor’s in 1974, the property has been the site of pioneering work in batch planting and vineyard landscaping.

 

QUINTA DO JUNCO

Quinta do Junco is another famous old Pinhão Valley estate which by 1761 had achieved ‘feitoria’ status, then the highest classification for a port vineyard. It was added to the Taylor’s stable in 1997 and contributes to the Taylor’s Vintage Port blend in a small but increasingly important way. Its wines are massive in scale, lending an additional layer of density and structure to the blend. Occupying a steep but open south facing hillside to the west of the Pinhão river, the vineyards of Quinta do Junco are well exposed to both sun and wind, benefiting from long hours of sunlight but avoiding the intense heat of less well aerated locations. A large area of the property was replanted by Taylor’s in vertical rows, a system which has benefits for both wine quality and the environment. However, the estate also includes 15 hectares of very old vines planted on traditional walled terraces.

 

QUINTA DA CASA NOVA

Quinta da Casa Nova, located in Gouvães do Douro, is a historic estate that forms part of the first demarcation of the Douro region from 1756. The 17-hectare property was acquired by the company in 1998 (along with the purchase of Quinta do Junco) and boasts a rich vineyard planted in 1997, predominantly with Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca, later complemented with Touriga Francesa. Among the white varieties, Viosinho, Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, and Arinto shine. It is an excellent property situated on a mid-slope, providing protection during the hotter years, with the added advantage of its north-facing exposure.

 

QUINTA DA EIRA VELHA

Quinta da Eira Velha is one of the oldest and finest estates in the Douro Valley. It is believed that vines have been cultivated at Eira Velha for over 600 years. The vineyard and buildings occupy a spectacular location on a southeast-facing slope between 160 and 390 meters above the confluence of the Douro River with its tributary, the Pinhão River. The 50-hectare property was acquired by the company in 2007.