Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port 75cl

Product Information

White port – Best served cold, white port is delicious and refreshing with a splash of tonic, and makes a great alternative to your beloved G&T. Often drunk as an aperitif, we’d recommend serving it with a side of salted almonds. Stars - Trace of evolution. Cooked red fruits, light coffee, caramel. Well integrated, light spices. Medium to full-bodied. Pleasant. Drink up to 5 years." - Decanter Magazine We asked the Esquire Approves panel — made up of 10 WSET-trained wine experts and consumers — to work their way through 19 port varieties from the leading vineyards and producers. Each was tasted blind and assessed on its balance of flavours, mouthfeel and length of finish.

Tawny Port – Aged in wooden casks, tawny ports tend to be sweeter and dominated by dried fruit and caramel aromas. Exposure to oxygen in the barrel imparts a moreish toasted nut quality, as well as the characteristic golden-brown hue. Burgundy: In Burgundy a small proportion of monumental wines from old vines were produced this heatwave year, but generally the frail Pinot Noir grape suffered raisining and made some very unusual wines indeed, some of which provided good, luscious drinking when tasted in 2008. Dry tannins are expected to make their presence increasingly felt over time. With a well-defined tawny hue with orange-like hints, its aroma is intense and complex, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, exotic wood, cedar, plum and hazel. On the palate, its fine structure and balance between sugars and tannins stand out. the finish is delicate and lingering.

J W Hart, 2003

Portugal: A general declaration of vintage, the 2003 produced classic Vintage Port. This year's wines have great traditional tannic structure with attractive ripe fruit flavours.

Tawny Port – After being aged in oak barrels, tawny ports are further aged in bottles for periods such as ten, 20, 40 years, etc. The name comes from the tawny colour they develop over time and they tend to be very smooth and mellow, with flavours of fruit and nuts. They go well with cheeses and some puddings. Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal has been undergoing something of a quiet revolution over the last twenty years or so. A reluctance to follow trends and plant international grapes is now paying dividends and the new breed of full-blooded, fruit-filled wines are more than able to compete on the world stage. The unique flavours that are the hallmark of Portugal's indigenous grape varieties have become its trump card.Tawny port – The name refers to the colour the wine turns after ageing. To have this label, they must be at least two years old, but you’ll also find much older examples, such as our winning 10-year-old (below). The age statement means the liquid is a blend of vintages with an average barrel ageing. Flavours here tend to be nuttier, and can include caramel, cinnamon and chocolate. Tejo was formerly known as Ribatejo is known for good, everyday drinking wines in a range of styles from a wide range of permitted grapes. This region lies on either side of the River Tagus

It depends on how long you anticipate aging it for! If something is left to sit for time, let it rest on its side away from direct sunlight, just as you would any fine wine. If you have an open bottle, you can store it at room temperature or in the fridge. Chilling a bottle will extend the lifespan — the cold slows down the oxidation process. Lisboa is a large, coastal region that runs north from Lisbon. Atlantic breezes help cool the vineyards and maintain the fresh acidity and aromatics in the mostly white wines. North of Bucelas, on the Atlantic west coast lies the strip of rolling countryside that contains nine separate DOCs under the umbrella name of Lisboa. This is Portugal's largest wine producing region in volume terms. The family has been present in the Douro for five generations, having been founded in 1882 when Andrew James Symington, a Scot who arrived in Oporto, started working for Graham’s before becoming a partner of Warre & Co and Dow’s Port. Over 70% of the Port wine sold by Symington brands is produced from grapes grown on their own properties. Provided the wine has been well nurtured, a certain amount of bake can be a positive characteristic in a mature tawny. Many shippers use a small component of Douro-matured wine in their aged tawnies.

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To find the best port, the GHI’s panel of 10 WSET-trained experts and consumers tried 32 bottles – from white to ruby – from the leading supermarkets and big brands. Each was tasted blind to prevent brand bias, and they were looking for easy-drinking styles that would work well with a classic cheese board and desserts. Are you planning on letting your port rest for years? Consider a port with age-worthy qualities. Look for vintages that show potential, or consider vintage bottled-aged ports that are crafted to sit for years to come. Burmester, Fonseca, Niepoort, Noval, Sandeman, Taylor and Ramos Pinto all produce 20-year-old tawnies in the premier league. The port shippers themselves often prefer to drink a 20-year-old in preference to vintage. The refinement of a 20-year-old tawny befits the climate and temperament of the Douro better than the heftier, bottle-matured wines which are more at home in cooler climes. Ruby Port – Aged in steel or concrete tanks and then bottled, ruby port is renowned for its berry-forward flavour, pronounced spicing and mellow cocoa notes. It’s also the most highly produced and doesn’t tend to improve with age.