A Question of Label Differences

[slateshalehead]

Perhaps a novice question, so forgive the ignorance...

WineBid currently has three bottles of 1985 Taylor on offer. Two have the label I've seen before, with a Kobrand import note: https://www.winebid.com/BuyWine/Item/7618194 and https://www.winebid.com/BuyWine/Item/7618195. The third has a completely different label, without an importer note: https://www.winebid.com/BuyWine/Item/7618196.

Was the one with a different label originally destined for the British market, whereas the other two were always in the American market? Or is there another difference I'm missing?

[winesecretary]

This is not a complete answer, but the labels all say 'Porto' so all intended for the US market ab initio. The UK ones call it 'Port'.

[Andy Velebil]

It's a gray market bottle. Imported by someone else most likely. Or it was a late release and the importer info is on the back.

Regardless, those all look like they have been in a flood with the water damage to labels. From time to time, insurance bottles tend to show up. I'd be wary of them.

Edit, the more I look at the labels, the last one is a late release. The label is a more modern version of it.

[JacobH]

Edit, the more I look at the labels, the last one is a late release. The label is a more modern version of it.

That's a good point but I can't see any vintages after the 1985 that have those old style labels. I guess it might only have "late" in the sense of a second batch released in 1987 if that's when they made the change.

[Andy Velebil]

Edit, the more I look at the labels, the last one is a late release. The label is a more modern version of it.

That's a good point but I can't see any vintages after the 1985 that have those old style labels. I guess it might only have "late" in the sense of a second batch released in 1987 if that's when they made the change.

That label was ~mid 1990’s. Give or take a little bit, the last bottle was released about a decade later.

[forest26]

The last one is a later release of stock from TFP. They were certainly available in the UK up until the end of last year - when stocks sold out.