In 2008 Taylor's wine maker, David Guimaraens, became aware of the existence of a very old and rare cask aged port, dating from the period before Phylloxera arrived in the Douro Valley and destroyed most of its vineyards. The wine, over 150 years in age, belonged to a distinguished Douro family and was stored in a wine lodge in the village of Prezegueda in the Corgo Valley. A treasured heirloom, the wine had been passed down from one generation to the next and attempts to persuade the family to part with it had been unsuccessful.
In 2009, the sole surviving descendant of the family died leaving no children. Her heirs, not all of whom were family members, decided to sell the two casks of this unique and historically important wine. Taylor's acquired samples and, amazingly in view of its age, found that it was not only in faultless condition but of superb quality. The purchase was successfully negotiated and the two casks were moved to the firm's lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia on 13th January, 2010.
Under normal circumstances a very old wood age port like this would have been incorporated into the firm's aged tawny reserves, in this case into the 40 year old tawny blend. However, in view of its quality, rarity and historical interest, Taylor's CEO, Adrian Bridge, decided that it should not be blended but should be made available as a unique collector's item. In the autumn of 2010, the wine was launched as a very limited edition, under the name of Scion. Scion is one of the oldest and rarest aged tawny ports ever sold and one of very few pre-Phylloxera wines from any vineyard region to reach us in perfect condition.