Red ports tend to spend fewer years ageing in wooden barrels or vats, which should give them a fruitier, more tannic profile and a vivid red-purple colour. History has been rather unfair to the 1966s which, until relatively recently, were completely overshadowed by the 1963s. Although quality is not as uniformly high as 1963, 1966 hits many of the same high spots with wines combining concentration, structure and intensity. Although bottlings vary (a consequence of bottling in both Vila Nova de Gaia and in the UK) Dow and Fonseca are stupendous. Best wines Taylor’s has now capitalised on the momentous occasion by launching a limited-edition gift box featuring its 2003 Vintage Port. Taylor's Port has a three hundred year tradition focusing solely on its port wines, finding the very best methods of production and refining them to produce some of the best examples in existence.

Ruby port is the youngest and cheapest style of red port. The best of these are bright, fruity and peppery. You might think port lasts forever after it’s been opened, but sadly that’s not the case, though it differs by type. Tawny ports are paler brown or amber in colour, with a more mellow taste. That typically comes from a longer period ageing in wood, which can impart distinct flavours of dried fruit and nuts. Taylor's three iconic port wine estates, located in the best parts of the Douro Valley - Terra Feita, Vargellas and Junco - encompass a huge area and various different styles of wine. Each estate is distinct from the others, with different strengths and styles to complement each other brilliantly. It’s partly because of this that the House is rated so highly, often known as the one to beat when it comes to vintage ports; with their iconic blends of the very best from each estate, a bottle of Taylor’s vintage port is always unique and invariably among the best available. It is for this reason that theirs are some of the most sought-after and expensive ports in the world.Early tastings tended to play down the overall quality of the 1970s and it is only several decades on that these tight-knit, beautifully balanced wines have come to be judged in their true light. Although not as fine overall as the undeniably impressive 1963s, there are wines from 1970 that deserve to be ranked among the great vintage Ports of the 20th century. This being the last vintage to be bottled both in Portugal and in the UK, there is inevitably a certain amount of variation from bottle to bottle. All subsequent vintages were bottled in Vila Nova de Gaia. Best wines

In their second Spring, they are tasted again. If they are judged to be of exceptional quality, the Port wines of the three estates are blended together, Vargellas bringing structure, elegance and complexity to the wine and Terra Feita and Junco body, depth and powerful, concentrated fruit. It was clear as soon as the wines were run from the lagares that a fine vintage was in the bag, and the shippers could hardly conceal their glee at the prospect of a major vintage declaration. By the time the wines were offered in the spring/summer of 1996, the market had recovered fully from the recession of the early 1990s with the US having become particularly receptive to vintage Port. Opening prices rose considerably and in some cases have continued to soar, perversely overtaking mature vintages like 1970. The wines were appealing from the start, with ripe fleshy fruit concealing the underlying tannic grip that will enable these wines to stand the test of time. Best wines After each harvest, the tasting panel selects the finest Port wines from the three properties and these are then left to age for two winters in oak vats. At this stage it must be decided whether a Vintage Port is to be ‘ declared’. For a declaration to be made, the Vintage Port blend must be of outstanding quality: austere in its youth, with tremendous depth of flavour and massive structure, capable of evolving over years, or decades into that quintessence of great Port, a mature Taylor Fladgate Vintage.

Quinta do Vesuvio, 2003

The Taylor’s 2003 Vintage is one of the most highly acclaimed Port wines of recent decades – a monumental vintage which, to quote celebrated wine authority Robert Parker, will stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with the finest ever crafted by Taylor’s,’ said Bridge. The 2003 vintage was blessed with warm weather at the end of May, supporting a successful flowering, followed by intense summer heat in early August.