To commemorate our 20th harvest at Quinta do Tedo, we are preparing our 20-year Tawny; what better way to celebrate that we have been in business since 1992!
By definition of the IVDP (Insituto do Vinho do Porto) Tawny Port is a blend of wood-aged port. We do age our “regular” Tawny an extra 2 years for a total of 8 years istead of the required 6 years, in 228L/60 gal neutral French oak barrels for extra concentration. In addition to our Tawny, we have a 10-year Tawny and in the very near future we will also have a 20-year Tawny; taking the definition of Tawny to another level, an extra 12 years of concentration and complexity! Crafting this Tawny is the result of an ongoing series of line-up tastings. Barrel samples are taken, with particular importance placed on the temperature being the same, as port is 20% alc/vol, and temperature variation significantly affects flavor components.
Our winemaking team Jorge Alves and Hugo Fonseca assemble first blends in beakers, taking notes of blending ratios, to determine the character that we are looking for in our 20-year Tawny.
The final blend will be retasted over the course of several weeks to assure that this blend will evolve as we would like. Our palates and perspectives can also slightly change/evolve over the course of retasting, ultimately playing a role in our final blend. When our Tawny « recipe » blend is determined we make the final blend, respecting the quantity from each barrel and our 20-year Tawny is born!
What makes Quinta do Tedo’s Tawny stand out in the market place? Remember that in Portugal only 2% of port is destined to become Vintage or LBV, the remaining 98% is made into Ruby and Tawny; vineyard classification can be from A to F (A being of highest quality). At Quinta do Tedo our Vintage, LBV, Ruby and Tawny are all made with classification A grapes, equivalent to a Grand Cru; our grape quality is already outstanding. Larger wineries blend enormous port volumes to make a Tawny, we start with a smaller volume and can make something that from the starting point is more concentrated.
What is our house style? Jorge Alves responds « complex, structured and concentrated Tawny Ports ».
Here are Jorge’s notes for our 20-year Tawny to be released:
“Color: Beautiful brown orange color.
Nose: Very complex Port wine, deep, flavors of orange confit, hazelnuts, dried figs, curry, toffee, mineral, dried apricot, vanilla; very impressive.
Mouth: Full bodied, concentrated, sweet, good structure, well balanced by the fresh acidity and the sweetness; silky texture, long finish with aromas of raisin, iodine and dried plums.”
Ready for a glass? Cheers and please celebrate with us our 20 years at Quinta do Tedo!