DRINK DATE: 2021 – 2050

The NV Very Old Tawny Port Kingsman Edition is a field blend bottled in 2020 with an average time in barrel of 90 years. It has 206 grams of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. As always, old Tawnies are simply a joy to just smell, but that’s nowhere near the best part here. Unctuous in texture and very concentrated, this still manages to be rather elegant, with some brightness and lift to the fruit to go with the power on the finish. It does show its age a bit on opening, but it held perfectly for the relatively short time I had with it. The finish is more dark molasses than caramel, as befits a very old and aging Tawny. The key here, though, is the combination of brightness with the unctuous and almost creamy texture. The two make an enchanting combination that leads to a long, lively and tasty finish. This is pretty fine, and you would expect nothing less from a special presentation by Taylor’s. The winery’s website mentions a touch of British humor regarding this bottling (and its connection to the Kingsman film series), but there’s nothing funny about this. It’s pretty serious stuff.

The end-date drinking window is just a suggestion, and usually an afterthought, as few bother to hold old Tawnies very long. It doesn’t need aging and they tend to last a very long time, barring cork problems. This comes in a special presentation, as these rare Tawnies usually do. The package includes “a bespoke crystal decanter with gold detailing and a luxurious presentation box.” There were just 700 bottles produced.

The winery says that the “idea for a rare, Port wine Kingsman edition was born between Taylor Fladgate Port and director Matthew Vaughn” of the Kingsman film series. Vaughn assures us with a touch of what the winery calls British humor that a “true Kingsman will never forget to pass the Port to his left, but this Taylor-made Port will certainly test his resolve.”

— Mark Squires, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate