TAYLORS HISTORICAL COLLECTION RESERVE TAWNY PORT THE MALLET 75CL 20%

This blend was carefully put together for this limited edition from specially selected Ports from Taylor’s extensive aged Tawny stocks, aged in seasoned oak Port pipes.

Its character is unique for this bottling, with the characteristic Taylor’s richness and with its distinctive grip on the finish. The wine is a skilfully blended Tawny Port, harmonious and balanced, with all the intensity and finesse derived from ageing in seasoned oak casks.

At the beginning of the 18th century, bottles were hand blown and bulbous in shape. They could not be laid on their sides and were therefore unsuitable for long term ageing. Instead, they were used mainly to convey the wine from the wine merchant’s cask to the consumer’s table. Because bottles were expensive, they were re-used and often displayed the crest or initials of their owner.

As the 18th century progressed, bottles became taller and more cylindrical.  The early bulbous ‘onion’ shape gradually evolved into a more elongated, straight-sided bottle with a longer neck.  The first stage in this evolution was the appearance of the ‘mallet’ shaped bottle which had become well established in England by around 1730.  Like their predecessors, the first ‘mallet’ bottles were squat in shape.  Their sides were often tapered towards the shoulder rather than completely parallel. However, by around 1750, the ‘mallet’ bottle had developed a more cylindrical form.  This Limited Edition bottle is inspired by the ‘mallet-cylinder’ bottle from that period, the immediate predecessor of today’s cylindrical wine bottle.

The bottle should be kept upright, protected from light and at a cool and constant temperature. The particular qualities of this wine allow it to be enjoyed over an extended period of time once opened, without losing its freshness and vibrancy. Optimum drinking time after opening the bottle is two months.

This wine is ready to drink and does not require decanting. Serve between 12ºC to 16ºC.

A delicious dessert wine, and combines particularly well with flavours of almonds, berry fruit or dark chocolate. It can also be enjoyed as an accompaniment for rich, blue veined cheeses. It is excellent at the end of the meal, as a crowning moment of an enjoyable evening, served on its own or with a plate of walnuts or roasted almonds.