New Arrival - Taylor Fladgate Scion Port

Taylor's Scion Port at The General Wine CompanyThe General Wine Company Price:
£1850 per bottle

A pre-phylloxera tawny port with more than 150 years of cask age has been released by Taylor’s. It has been rated by Robert Parker at 100 Points

In 2008 Taylor's wine maker David Guimaraens became aware of the existence of a very old and rare cask-aged port dating from before the arrival of Phylloxera in the Douro Valley. The wine belonged to a distinguished Douro family and was stored in a lodge in the village of Prezegueda in the Corgo Valley. A treasured heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next, it was maintained as a private family reserve, with the exception of of one pipe said to have been acquired by Winston Churchill.

In 2009 the sole surviving direct descendant of the the family died, leaving no children. Her heirs, not all family members, decided to sell the wine. Taylor's acquired some samples and, amazingly, in view of its age (harvest of 1855) the wine was found to be in faultless condition. Taylor's successfully negotiated the purchase of the wine which was moved in two casks to the firm's lodges in Oporto on 13th January, 2010.

In view of its extraordinary quality, rarity and remarkable historical interest, Taylor's Managing Director, Adrian Bridge, decided that the wine should not be blended but should be offered by Taylor's as a unique collector's item. In addition to the wine itself, several other items included in the box are collector's items in their own right. The wine is presented in a hand-blown, limited edition crystal decanter specially produced for SCION. Set into the lid of the box is a booklet telling the story of the wine with original drawings by the illustrator Sarah Colman. The Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP) has kindly made available some rare guarantee seals from a limited remaining stock. Each box is individually numbered. "This exceptional wine, which dates back to the time of the Crimean war, may be one of the only wines in the world to survive in faultless condition since Phylloxera ravaged the vineyards in the 1860s. We believe that this rare offer will be the last significant quantity of cask-aged Ports to be offered to collectors and Port enthusiasts from this era.Scion may be one of the last great representatives of a lost viticultural era. The Douro vineyards in pre-Phylloxera days were ungrafted and a different mix of varieties planted from those used today. This Port represents a rare piece of history and is an exciting and very unique offer for consumers." Adrian Bridge, Taylor's MD

The General Wine Company Price: £1850 per bottle

Call 01730 235923 or 01428 727744 for more details.