Robert Parker (1989)
This house must certainly be the Latour of Portugal. Their ports are remarkably backward yet still impressive when young. Of all the vintage ports, those of Taylor need the longest time to mature and even when fully mature seem to have an inner strength and firmness that keep them going for decades. Their tawnys are also among the very best, though somewhat expensive. Two bottles of the 1985 were tasted and each was different. One was compact and dull, the other beefy, rich, full-bodied, and loaded. While the better bottle clearly was outstanding, it was not as sublime or as sensational as one expects Taylor to be, and not as rich or as profound as the 1983, 1977 or 1970. Perhaps this particular port, usually one of my favorites, is going through an awkward stage. Judgment reserved.