Twenty Twenty Tawny

Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal
(£35 for 50cl, Oddbins & others)

 There’s still a touch of fiery ruby at the heart of this gorgeous, amber-hued tawny. The nose is rich and raisined while the palate is smooth, biscuity and mouth-coating. The key to this wine though, is its freshness and gentle saline finish that lingers long after tasting and elevate it to a level above your average 20 Year Old Tawny. (Incidentally, the more I taste these wines, the more convinced I am that 20 Year Old is the best style of aged tawny, eg versus 10 or 30+.)

This particular port was the focus of a recent tawny ‘blending masterclass’ hosted by Ramos Pinto winemaker Ana Rosas. We were given the opportunity to blend our own 20 Year Old Tawny having been handed the base wine and several mini bottles of possible component parts. My conclusion: the art of blending is much more tricky than it at first appears and should definitely be left to the experts! Ana’s final wine was far superior to my efforts. (Susie, 19 Apr 2016, 8/10)