The Salvation of Taylor's Port
- Written by Anna Guerrier
‘Friendship is one of the most beautiful things in life’ said Dame Laurentia McLaughlin; and such a friendship has been key to the popularity of Port in Great Britain.
The friendship between Portugal and the UK dates back to the Treaty of Windsor in 1386; but it was during the 17th Century that British traders, often cut off from their supplies of Bordeaux by the frequent wars with France, took a penchant for the more full-flavoured, robust wines of Portugal. Encouraged by the Methuen Treaty of 1703, which granted England lower duties on Portuguese wines than those of France and Germany, England became a principal market for the wines of the Douro Valley.
But the sometimes rough sea passage across the Bay of Biscay unsettled the wines, so the traders added brandy to ‘fortify’ them against the rigours of the Atlantic voyage. It was not long before the traders found the fortifying process did far more than just protect the wine. It improved it, giving it the power to mature into something unique, creating the opulent and complex wine that we know today as Port.
Among the first of the early traders was Job Bearsley, who by 1692 was a Port shipper and partner in the firm known as Taylor’s Port. Today Taylor’s is part of The Fladgate Partnership which includes Fonseca, Croft and Delaforce. Bearsley’s son Peter became the first British trader in 1727, to venture into Northern Portugal’s wild and mountainous country around the river Douro in search of the best wine. His brother, Bartholomew became the first Englishman and Port shipper to purchase an estate in the Douro region in 1744; and fine wines have been made there under the Taylor’s name every year since, apart from a short break when it was used as a field hospital for Wellington’s troops.
Today Taylor’s is well into its fourth century, making it one of the oldest of specialist Port houses. It is the only British Port firm that has remained totally independent throughout history and is still owned by relations of the original partners.
Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman were the original trading triumvirate and the descendants of the Yeatman family have provided the inspiration for the business over the centuries. No one more so than Alistair Robertson, now Chairman and his son in law Adrian Bridge, Managing Director.
Alistair was born in Oporto, where his great grandfather and grandfather ran the Smith Woodhouse Port house and where great grandfather was also an engineer on the famous Eiffel Bridge. This bridge was particularly important as it joins Oporto and Vila Nova da Gaia, where the Taylor Fladgate wine lodges can be found, set against the backdrop of the Atlantic coast. The Taylor’s connection arose when his mother’s youngest sister Beryl, married Dick Yeatman, then the Taylor’s senior partner.
Alistair spent much of his youth and school days in England but the summer holidays were enjoyed in Oporto with his mother, Dick and Beryl Yeatman. In 1966 and at the age of 29, Alistair was leading a busy and successful life working for Grants of St James’ when Dick Yeatman died and Beryl (his widow) telephoned to say that either Alistair came and managed the business or she would sell it. He and Gillyanne, his wife, rose to the challenge and, moving to Oporto, embarked upon a career that was to change their lives and the future of Taylor’s Port if not the Port industry itself.
‘When we arrived I knew that Taylor’s had an excellent reputation for its Ports,’ says Alistair, ‘it possessed fine mature stocks and was debt free, but the partnership simply didn’t sell enough to make a reasonable trading profit. It was hardly surprising really when you consider that one of the most famous Port houses had just three telephones, three typewriters and talking, apart for commercial purposes, was not permitted. In fact the telephone for the sales department was situated just outside toilet which meant that conversations were liable to be drowned out by the sound of flushing!
Clearly this was not an auspicious start but Alistair was not to be deterred. One of the first decisions made was to increase the amount of trade under the Taylor’s label and the second was to start a sales campaign focusing on what was then the emerging Algarve region. This of course was the start of a far reaching marketing campaign which took in Europe and America.
‘One of our most significant moves’, Alistair comments, ‘was to re-invent Late Bottled Vintage Port. This style of Port had existed since the 19th century, but as it had been aged for 5-6 years in the bottle on its crust it needed careful decanting. Whilst decanting is not in itself difficult it could sometime put people off. We wanted to make Port more accessible so, still using the best wines from a single year as you do for vintage port, we decided to leave LBV to mature in the cask and then bottle it when it ready for drinking, thereby obviating the necessity for decanting.
‘It caused a bit of a stir at the time as we were the first house to market LBV but, it turned out to be extremely successful and as a result had quite an effect on the Port industry as a whole.’
Quinta de Vargellas vineyard is Taylor’s piece de resistance, not only is it quite beautiful but has a heritage of growing exceptional vines. It was acquired in three separate purchases of neighbouring property between 1893 and 1896.
Quinta de Vargellas had already earned its reputation as a producer of excellent grapes and fine wine in the 1820’s when the London markets snapped up the bottles above that of any other. However events conspired to bring a temporary decline in the fortunes at Vargellas when the disease phylloxera devastated the region during the second half of the nineteenth century.
This process was to be reversed after the purchase of the Quinta by Taylor’s and the arrival of Frank ‘Smiler’ Yeatman, who oversaw the dramatic reconstruction of the vineyard. Frank was a shareholder from 1897 until his death in 1950 making him the first Englishman to make 50 vintages in the Douro.
Alistair led Taylor Fladgate for more than thirty years, turning it into one of the finest and most respected specialist Port houses in the world and he is proud to now have his son in law Adrian Bridge, who joined the company in 1994, running the company as Managing Director.
Adrian’s first harvest was in 1982, since when he has soaked up all there is to know about port and spent the last ten years building on the family success story.
However, it was during those initial visits in the 80’s that Adrian came across the company’s Ferrari and Lamborghini. ‘They caused great amusement as visitors expected to see the company Ferrari all gleaming and red, but were confronted by a small, solid tractor with the all important prancing horse on the front. In recent years we have introduced quad bikes to get around the quinta. We decided to buy diesel ones as they have more torque and are slower – a rather important point as we didn’t want anyone flying off one of the terraces!’ On a more serious note Adrian tells us that ‘the old days of the wine world when it was a gentleman’s club, have now passed and the reality is a tough business environment.’ With large retailers in established markets such as the UK squeezing every penny out of producers Adrian has looked to ply his trade in new markets particularly countries in the Far East, India and China.
‘The volumes at the moment aren’t enormous’ he says, ‘and I am cautious about the likes of China despite the fact that everyone gives the impression it is a boom market; I don’t believe that is necessarily the case for us. But each country has a strong potential for growth, and India may well prove to be more successful in a shorter period of time. In the meantime we have a focus on the North American markets (USA & Canada) which are the areas most likely to provide growth in the next five years.’
‘I did wonder what difference I could make when I first joined Taylor and Fonseca, given the fact that Alistair Robertson has led the group so successfully for years.’ But in 2001 Adrian found the opportunity, when his skilful handling not only of the purchase of Croft and Delaforce, two of Ports oldest and sadly neglected brands, but the sale of the Sherry side of the Croft brand to Gonzalez Byass at the same time. Such an achievement has made him not only a luminary of the family business but the international Port industry.
So, in something over three hundred years Taylor Fladgate and Yeatman have gone from a single estate in the Douro Valley to four great brands and not a sniff of a conglomerate amongst it all. With a fine balance of tradition, progressive modern marketing tactics and commercial acumen the Fladgate Partnership looks set fair for several generations to come thereby continuing the special British~Portuguese relationship.
Tipple Tips:
Port is delicious as an aperitif, a pudding & cheese wine, or during a meal. At the top end of the market the Fladgate Partnership create collectors items but at the other end of the scale Port is luscious and so reasonably priced who can resist stocking up on few bottles...
Chip Dry Made exactly the same way as conventional port but with white grapes instead of red. It has a drier, fruitier taste and makes a wonderful aperitif especially poured over ice in a tall glass, topped up with tonic and a sprig of mint.
First Estate Reserve This is made at the first property bought by Taylor’s in 1744, Lugar das Lages. Rich, fruity and elegant it is aged for four years in vat and is ready for drinking immediately. No decanting is necessary and it is as enjoyable before a meal as afterwards.
Late Bottled Vintage Blended from wines of a single year, just like Vintage Port, but LBV ages from four to six years in vat and is ready to drink when bottled. No decanting is necessary and the fruity flavour and firm full bodied style mean it is scrumptious with choci puddings and blue cheeses.
Aged Tawnies These are delicious, delicate old wines which benefit from being slightly chilled especially in warm weather. They made be served equally well after a meal or during it as they stand up well to strong flavours or rich tastes such as foie gras. Taylor and Fonseca are one of the few houses to offer 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old Tawny Port.
Quinta de Vargellas Vintage A ‘single quinta’ wine which is made in exactly the same way as Vintage Port, but using only the grapes from this individual quinta, trodden on the estate. Only small quantities are made and only in very good years. A little pricier but worth every penny.
Quinta de Terra Feita Vintage Together with those of Quinta de Vargellas the wines of Quinta de Terra Feita form the backbone of the legendary Taylor Fladgate declared Vintage Ports. A small amount of Quinta de Terra Feita as a ‘single quinta’ wine is now becoming available on those years when a Taylor’s Vintage is not declared. Drinkable after 10 years but, as with Quinta de Vargellas, it will go on developing further.
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Taylor Fladgate’s finest and rarest wine, the very pinnacle of port. Only in a year when everything is perfect is there a declared Vintage. The ultimate collector’s wine these Vintage Ports will last for fifty years or more. They are renowned for their massive structure, concentration of flavour and distinctive ‘masculine’ style. Bottled after two years in wood, they continue to mature for decades in the cellar.
By Anna Guerrier
