Bottles from my private collection, always stored in a climate-controlled cellar. Shipping insurance will be added to this lot. The winter preceding the 2011 harvest was wetter and colder than the average of the last 30 years. The bud break occurred, as usual, around March 19th, and the warm weather and rain in April produced vigorous growth. Dry weather settled in at the beginning of May, with occasional rain in more remote areas of the Douro Valley until the end of August. The vines always had substantial water reserves available, allowing hedges to develop and the bunches to ripen in ideal conditions. Veraison occurred on June 15th, slightly earlier than normal. The mild weather experienced during June and July was only interrupted by a heat wave in the second half of June. August was hot and dry, with very timely rain on August 21st and September 1st, resulting in an excellent ripening period and producing a very balanced harvest. Quinta de Vargellas, in the Douro Superior, was the first estate to begin the harvest on September 10th. Here, as in the other properties, the fruit had a high sugar content and excellent acidity. In the Pinhão valley, the harvest began at Quinta do Junco and in the higher part of Quinta de Terra Feita on September 14th, and the following day in the lower part of Terra Feita. The fermentations were long, allowing for balance and complete extraction; the musts presented intense color and powerful fruit from the beginning. Tasting Notes Impeccable blue-black color with a fine purple rim. Intricate and finely structured, the nose presents the elegance and balance of a classic Taylor’s. A dense core of pure and complex fruit, with an intense aroma of blackberry and cassis, enveloped in a fragrant aura of violets. Resinous perfumes of garrigue and subtle notes of licorice and black coffee emerge as the nose develops. On the palate, taut and linear tannins provide a solid structure. Distinct berry flavors linger until the finish, where the tannins re-emerge, giving an appealing touch of austerity. This is a paradigmatic Taylor’s; the distinct aromas and unique floral character of Vargellas blend with the dense black fruit and aromatic herbal notes of Terra Feita to produce an elegant wine with Taylor’s unmistakable combination of vigor and refinement.