NV Ramos Pinto - Porto 20 Year Old Tawny (750ml)

Ramos Pinto stands out among Port houses for making single estate tawnies, an unusual approach in a category typically blended across properties. This 20 Year Old comes entirely from Quinta do Bom Retiro, one of the oldest vineyards in the Douro, situated in the Cima Corgo across the river from Pinhão, giving the wine a distinct sense of terroir rarely found in aged tawny Port.

The wine is a blend of vintages drawn from several plots on the estate, some selections reportedly exceeding 75 years of age, brought together to an average of 20 years and aged in 650 liter oak casks. Over that time the Port gradually shifts from its youthful deep red toward the pale amber, yellow tinged hue that signals genuine long term cask maturation, concentrating flavor and softening tannin along the way.

The finished wine shows a warm amber color with orange highlights and a complex nose of dried fig, date, and apricot layered with toasted almond, orange peel, and caramelized toffee. On the palate it turns velvety and rich, its dried fruit sweetness balanced by dry, savory acidity through a long, refined finish. Pair it with poached pears in caramel sauce or a plate of toasted nuts.