Taylor Fladgate "Very Old Single Harvest” Port OWC 1966

Taylor Fladgate "Very Old Single Harvest” Port 1966

Taylor Fladgate “Very Old Single Harvest” Port 1966 is a rare, 60‑year cask‑aged Colheita‑style tawny Port from the Douro, Portugal, released in limited quantities as a fully mature, ready‑to‑drink wine, in Original Wooden Case (OWC).

Ideal for 60th birthday/anniversary gifting!

Critic tasting note: (1966 vintage)

"Love the toffee, salted nut, cedar and leather character to this vintage tawny. Honey too. Full and very sweet with silky tannins and a dried fruit finish. Turns to figs and leather on the aftertaste. A superb old wine that was aged in cask until bottling. Drink now." - James Suckling

Wine Enthusiast (95/100)

"One of a series of releases of single harvest wines, this smooth, wood-aged Port is rich and still full of fruit. Ripe date and raisin flavors are lifted by acidity, with flavors from the wood aging giving great balance. Tawny in character, this beautiful wine is complex and ready to drink." - 1966 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2015

Taylor Fladgate holds one of the most extensive reserves of very old cask aged Port of any producer. They include a collection of rare Single Harvest Ports. These are Ports from a single year which age to full maturity in seasoned oak casks and display the year of harvest on the label.

Taylor Fladgate's Single Harvest Ports offer a unique opportunity to celebrate with an extraordinary 50 year old wine in perfect condition.” The Taylor Fladgate Single Harvest Port is presented in the classic frosted bottle associated with Taylor Fladgate's celebrated range of Aged Tawny Ports and will be presented in a high quality wooden box.

Tasting Profile

Medium golden mahogany to deep amber‑brown in color, with a hint of olive‑green at the rim. The nose is complex and layered, showing walnut and macadamia, roasted hazelnut, cigar box, tobacco and cedar, brown sugar, demerara, caramel, orange peel and pomander spice, with notes of molasses, coffee and subtle jasmine and honeysuckle. The palate is smooth, honeyed and treacly yet vibrant, offering rich spice, figs, dates, raisins, mocha, gingerbread, confit apricot and dried stone fruits, supported by marked acidity and silky tannins, leading to an exceptionally long, beautifully balanced finish.

Key Traits

• Style: Very old Single Harvest (Colheita‑style) tawny Port, aged around 50 years in seasoned oak casks before bottling.

• Character: Fully mature, ultra‑complex and nutty, with oxidative depth, lifted acidity and seamless integration of sweetness and spice.

• Service: Ready to drink on release, does not require decanting; once opened, keeps its quality for at least a week, ideal as a contemplative digestif or with nuts, aged cheeses and caramel‑based desserts.

Taylor Fladgate Very Old Single Harvest 1966 is a 50‑year cask‑aged tawny (colheita) Port, released in limited quantities and positioned as a luxury, anniversary‑style bottling.

Style and positioning

• Single harvest tawny from the 1966 vintage, matured entirely in seasoned oak casks until bottling at around 50 years of age.

• Marketed as a very old, collectible Port for 50th birthdays/anniversaries, presented in a frosted bottle and wooden box.

• Part of Taylor’s series of single‑harvest Ports released each year from a vintage 50 years prior.

Appearance and aroma

• Colour: medium golden mahogany to deep amber‑brown, often with an olive‑green rim typical of very old tawnies.

• Nose: complex and layered, with walnut, macadamia, hazelnut, brown sugar, toffee, caramel, cigar box/cedar, orange peel, honey, and hints of jasmine or honeysuckle.

Palate and structure

• Texture: smooth, honeyed, very sweet but balanced by marked acidity that keeps the wine lively despite its age.

• Flavours: figs, confit apricot, dried fruits, mocha/coffee, treacle, gingerbread, sweet spices, citrus zest, with a touch of leathery, cedary maturity.

• Finish: long, mouth‑coating, with a faintly bitter orange or lemonade‑like twist adding freshness.

Vintage and drinking window

• 1966 was a strong year in the Douro, widely declared for vintage Port, and that quality is reflected here in the wine’s concentration and colour after long cask ageing.

• Bottled for release at around 50 years old and ready to drink on release, with the stability of a mature tawny making it suitable for extended enjoyment once opened (kept cool and well‑sealed).

Service and use

• Ideal for special‑occasion gifting (50th/60th birthday/anniversary) and end‑of‑meal service with dried fruits, roasted nuts, or restrained desserts (e.g., crème brûlée, nut tart, aged hard cheeses).

• Best served lightly chilled to cool cellar temperature so that the aromatic complexity and freshness are highlighted rather than the sweetness alone.