2O11 PORT VINTAGE DECLARED

Great news for port lovers The Fladgate Partnership, comprising the historic houses of Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft, has declared 2O11 a Vintage Port year for all three houses. “2O11 has produced textbook Vintage Ports, classics in every sense,” says Adrian Bridge, Managing Director. He added, “The wines have a wonderful purity and elegance, but also plenty of structure and depth of flavor.” While the quality of the 2O11 harvest was apparent from the outset, a decision as to whether or not to declare was taken only when the final blends were ready for evaluation. The blends from the three houses were carefully assessed over several weeks for quality, potential longevity and consistency of house style. The winter preceding the 2O11 harvest was wetter and colder than the 3O-year average, but as the year progressed, the vines developed and ripened under ideal conditions. Head winemaker David Guimaraens noted, “2O11 was an excellent ripening season and produced a well-balanced crop. The 2O11s stand out for the purity of the fruit and the quality of the tannins, which are silky and well integrated, but provide plenty of structure.” Recently, The Fladgate Partnership has seen a strong demand among collectors and investors for large format bottles. Noting this interest, Adrian Bridge says, “We will be making a limited number of large formats available from all three houses, including double magnums and imperials.” The Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft 2O11 Vintage Ports will be available later in the year. There will also be a limited release of the rare Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha 2O11 Vintage Port.