1992

The winter of 1991/92 was unseasonably dry. This continued into the Spring with light rain only in April and May. A long hot summer was broken by a few heavy showers at the end of August and September. Taylor’s started picking a week later than elsewhere in the valley and was rewarded with a perfectly ripe crop. Taylor Fladgate &...

2017

Following a wet 2016, the year started with cold and dry winter conditions, with a fifth less rainfall than the thirty-year average. Bud burst occurred relatively early, around 10th March.  The dry conditions continued into Spring and the warm weather in April and May encouraged the rapid growth of the vines. The first three weeks of June...

2001

The 2001 viticultural season was marked by one of the wettest winters on record, with widespread flooding and damage in the Douro region. From April forward, the weather became more settled. The summer saw moderately hot temperatures, with a continuous light wind keeping the vines aerated and free of disease. However, the long growing season...

2005

The winter preceding the 2005 harvest was extremely cold and dry leaving the reserves of water severely depleted after an already dry and hot 2004. The growing season started later than usual as a result of the cold weather and the shortage of water. The whole growing season was marked by lower vigour and small berry size for all grape...

The Mallet

2004

The 2003/2004 winter was very dry, having only rained 1/3 of the quantity registered the previous winter. The lack of water during the early part of the growing season led to very little pressure from disease. Our concern in July was mainly one of doubting the vines capacity to ripen the grapes due to the drastic shortage of water. The...