Port and the Douro (Infinite Ideas Classic Wine)

Port anD the Douro 157

other style of Port although, after a heavy dinner capped by one or more vintage Ports, a
twenty-year-old tawny may be served as ‘mouthwash’! The refinement and delicacy of a
well-aged tawny befits the climate and temperament of the Douro better than the heftier
bottle-matured wines, which are more at home in cooler climes. Think of tawny as a
summer wine. A glass of tawny served cool from the fridge is positively refreshing either
as an aperitif or after lunch in the heat of the day.
Ten-year-old tawny: Still brick-red in
the centre of the glass but developing an
amber-tawny rim, these wines tend to
retain a rich raisin and sultana character
with a touch of toasty complexity from the
wood. Smooth in texture, they may retain
a vestige of peppery tannin on the finish.
Twenty-year-old tawny: This, to
my mind, is the apogee of tawny: the
epitome of balance and poise, combining
freshness, delicacy and primacy of the
fruit with secondary toasted almond
and brazil nut complexity from
ageing in wood. Twenty-year-olds are
generally slightly sweeter than ten-
year-old tawnies, owing to the greater
concentration of sugars, and there has
been a tendency in recent years for the
IVDP to favour wines with more than
a hint of complexity from Douro-bake.
Colours vary considerably according to
house style, ranging from tawny-pink to
pale amber-orange, occasionally with an
olive-green tinge to the rim.
Thirty-year-old tawny: Orange/
amber-tawny to pale mahogany in
colour with an olive-green hue to the
rim. Thirty-year-olds have wonderful
complexity, sometimes with a marked
torrefaction character (roasted coffee)
and raisin-like richness and sweetness
that can verge on being unctuous, even cloying. By this stage some wines are heading
downhill with distinctly rustic, high-toned, vinagrinho aromas. Bottled in very small
quantities (most shippers release just a few hundred cases a year).
Forty-year-old tawny: Amber-tawny to deep mahogany in colour, with an olive-green
rim. Typically mature and roasted; toasted almonds, well-done toast and freshly roasted

Pick of ten-year-old tawny

dow

Graham

niepoort

offley

Ramos Pinto, Quinta da ervamoira

sandeman

taylor

Warre

Pick of twenty-year-old tawny

dalva

dow

Fonseca

Graham

Messias

niepoort

Poças

Ramos Pinto, Quinta do Bom Retiro

sandeman

Pick of thirty-year-old tawny

dalva

Graham

sandeman