19.5/20 This wine was placed immediately after the super-opulent Fonseca in the BFT tasting which may have been a mistake. This is restrained. Well mannered, discreet, keeps its powder very dry. But on the palate it opens out in the most superb, burgundian peacock's tail sort of way. Another wonderful wine from The Fladgate Partnership. Utterly different from the Fonseca. Upright and straight backed. But irreproachable. My gums are virtually impervious to sugar and acid but this wine set them vibrating a bit. Dried prunes ground up with rocks.

(96 - 98 points) The 2011 Taylor’s Vintage 2011 has a multifaceted, Pandora’s Box of a nose that is mercurial in the glass: cassis at first before blackberry and raspberry politely ask it to move aside, followed by wilted rose petals and Dorset plum. Returning after one 45 minutes that nose has shut up shop. The palate is sweet and sensual on the entry, plush and opulent, with copious black cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit, curiously more reminiscent of Fonseca! It just glides across the palate with a mouth-coating, glycerine-tinged finish that has a wonderful lightness of touch, demonstrating how Vintage Port is so much more accessible in its youth nowadays. But don’t let that fool you into dismissing the seriousness or magnitude of this outstanding Taylor’s. Tasted May 2013.- NM

97+ Another fabulous nose with fresh floral fragrance, ethereal potpourri, then cracked black pepper and black cherry provide a spicy and multi-layered profile. Full throttle flavors of jammy crushed blueberry and boysenberry pulp, offset by sublime acidity and a velvety texture. But just after swallowing, the lively tannins explode and exhibit the 2011s ability to hang with any Port from this vintage, in terms of its sheer depth and ageability too. The ultra-long finish is incredibly soft and smooth. A brilliant Taylor VP that’s uncharacteristically easy to sip on this early in the game; but make no mistake, this has a very long life ahead of it!

The greatness of this wine is subtler and more hidden than many of its siblings in 2011. It’s skinnier than Fonseca, austere in a Taylor–Douro Superior way, clouding the brain with schist dust before revealing its more sensuous blue-fruit richness. The tarry density and umami tannins are slow to yield what becomes seemingly endless flavor, dynamic and sleek. A pure revelation of the Douro, this has the stamina to outlive many of its peers in a long-lived vintage.

There is an initial smoky character, followed by a burst of ripe, rich black fruits, giving the wine weight and a dark, brooding core. Black plum and berry fruits, considerable acidity and a delicate final perfume flesh out this wine's character. For serious aging.

Powerful, featuring concentrated dark plum and spicy cherry flavors that are finely balanced, showing notes of raspberry preserves. The mocha and wild herb accents are interwoven and supported by powerful tannins. The finish offers intense grip and violet hints. Best from 2020 through 2045. –KM

Very pretty pure fruit on the nose: crushed berries and minerals with a licorice and graphite undertone. Full body, medium sweet with chewy tannins that are polished and firm. This shows balance and harmony, but remains powerful, muscular and toned. 11,000 cases produced of this foot-trodden wine. Try in 2021.