A stunning old barrel-aged Port in an equally stunning decanter-styled package. Maynard Ports come from members of the Van Zeller family, former owners of Quinta do Noval. All of the base wines for this blended wood Port were harvested by hand and then crushed by foot. After a quick fermentation, brandy was added to stop the yeast and leave a rich, dark, sweet wine. Then into barrels where the wine waited...and waited...and waited some more. Winemaker Alvaro Van Zeller created this blend, drawing from some barrels as young as 30 and others as old at 50 years or more, with the resulting blend roughly 40 years old. A grand wine deserved a grand package, so the Van Zellers put it in a stunning decanter-style bottle and then framed that in a handsome, single-bottle, wood case. Best of all, they did all that at a remarkable price - about half the $150-$250 more common for 40-Year Tawny. The aromas and flavors are all about toasted hickory and caramelized pecan with undertones of dried apricot and raisin fruit. Then, it's richly textured and very caramelized on the mid-palate and then finishes dry and long with generous notes of caramel, pecan, and more. Like all old Tawnys, you can take a month or two or three to finish the bottle - but why would you?