Taylor's Terra Feita Vertical

[winesecretary]

I am drinking a delicious glass of Taylor's Terra Feita 2005. 85% red juice. It is an entirely congruent port- the plump-sultana-and-glace-cherry-led fruit cake it promises on the nose it delivers on the palate and said cake remains on the finish. It inspires me to suggest that, for our edification and for that of others, we ought to have a tasting where we drink all eleven* vintages of TTF (1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2008)

Date uncertain for obvious reasons, but event likely to be held in the first quarter of 2021 at the B & F. Following representations I have extended this to 14 persons; which allows us to treat this as a (relatively) light evening suitable for a Monday or Tuesday.

1. GEAG
2. OJW (guest)
3. CPR 1
4. forest26
5. DaveRL
6. Doggett
7. akzy
8. jdaw1
9. CMAG
10. hadge
11. flash_uk
12. nac
13. AHB
14. PhilW

Reserves

1. idj123
2. rich_n

Who has what:

GEAG (1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2008).
DaveRL (1995, 2001)
Doggett (1999, 2001)
akzy (2005)
nac (1982; also 1991 courtesy of Taylor's via Mentzendorff/C&B).
AHB (1986)
hadge (1995, 2001)
flash_uk (1999)

rich_n (2005)

*For completeness I should add that there are mentions to be found of several other Terra Feita wines. The Book suggests 1907 and 1911 as tasted by the late, great, Michael Broadbent. vintageport.se suggests there is a 1914 Terra Feita. However, no-one (else) seems to have ever encountered a bottle of them. The stock of 1998 TTF is recorded in The Book (quoting Mayson 2001) as having been destroyed in a natural disaster at the Fonseca lodge in 2001. Taylor's own website mentions that "In the early 1900’s the firm’s relationship with Terra Feita seems to have intensified. The firm started bottling small amounts of Vintage Port drawn exclusively from the Terra Feita vineyards, distant precursors of today’s Quinta de Terra Feita single estate Vintage Ports. A handful of bottles of these early Terra Feita Vintages, starting with 1905 and continuing until the mid-1930’s, can still be found in Taylor’s cellars" A 1925 Terra Feita (bottled by Fonseca Guimaraens) was sold in Amsterdam in June 2020; alas I was the underbidder.

[CPR 1]

Yes please, not sure if I have any will check...

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[forest26]

Yes Please - I will check.

[DaveRL]

Yes please. I have 2001 and 1995.

[Doggett]

Yes please... I have 1999 and the popular 2001

[akzy]

I'd be interested. I only have 2005.

[jdaw1]

I like TTF. Yes please.

[Christopher]

Yes please! Great idea!

[hadge]

yes please - will check what i have.

[Doggett]

Can you add Mike/Flash please. He is busy helping the NHS supply chain, but good for this tasting.

[winesecretary]

flash_uk added.

[nac]

Yes please. Believe I have a bottle of the 82, but will confirm.

[winesecretary]

And full. I'll add reserves as the tasting is a long way away.

[Alex Bridgeman]

If you extend the list beyond 12, I’m interested and have the 1986.

[PhilW]

I like TTF also; clearly I shouldn't have gone to bed last night! Reserve please

[nac]

Yes please. Believe I have a bottle of the 82, but will confirm.

Just checked, and yes - one bottle of TTF82.

[winesecretary]

List extended to 14 persons. I don't want to fuzz the focus of this tasting by introducing comparative TVs but, on reflection, a few port tastings where we come in some way below a bottle a head is not a bad thing. Between those declaring their holdings we already have everything other than the 1991,1996 & 2008 available, which is very pleasing.

[nac]

Just had a quick check online and only 91 I could find is a 12bt case at Lay & Wheeler. However it's nearly £1100 in bond...

Let's all keep looking.

Will ask C&B contact to check with Mentzendorff.

[PhilW]

List extended to 14 persons. I don't want to fuzz the focus of this tasting by introducing comparative TVs but, on reflection, a few port tastings where we come in some way below a bottle a head is not a bad thing. Between those declaring their holdings we already have everything other than the 1991 available, which is very pleasing.

FWIW, I have previously suggested a TTF vs TV taste-off for those years where both were made, which is a tasting in the pending pile also; so if you did want additional bottles, you could consider adding a few of those year pairs for comparison perhaps.

[Alex Bridgeman]

The alternative is that we have had evenings where the themed tasting is followed by those not providing a bottle for the theme bringing some other bottles of Port for the after-tasting conversation.

14 people could result in 10 bottles of TTF and 4 bottles of other Port, giving us our normal weeknight drinking volume.

[winesecretary]

@ nac - I have been aware of that L&W case for a while. I appreciate you reaching out to your contacts...

@ PhilW - My intention was specifically not to cut across the contemplated TTF v TV taste-off, which is a worthy and serious and larger project, but, stimulated by the unabashed pleasure derived from the consumption of TTF 2005, merely to suggest we might enjoy a separate single-focus TTF event.

@ AHB - Indeed...

[PhilW]

@ PhilW - My intention was specifically not to cut across the contemplated TTF v TV taste-off, which is a worthy and serious and larger project, but, stimulated by the unabashed pleasure derived from the consumption of TTF 2005, merely to suggest we might enjoy a separate single-focus TTF event.

I wasn't seeing it as cutting across; more that a TTF/TV might never happen (didn't get much response when suggesting it), so if you wanted extra bottles for the TTF vertical I thought a few of same-year TVs might be an option.

I don't remember ever seeing the TTF '91 at a reasonable price; perhaps it was a tiny quantity; I see there is no tasting note on TPF. Clearly a rare beast - though whether a consequence of being lovely or not, or simply a minuscule quantity (perhaps likely) who knows... (Adrian?)

[hadge]

I believe that i have 1995 and 2001, will double check when i'm allowed back home! been locked away from my cellar.

[winesecretary]

@ hadge - I know that feeling, 90% of my wine is currently inaccessible...

[nac]

Like Alex's idea of post-tasting tasting.