Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira, 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Founded in 1880 by Adriano Ramos Pinto, this Port House has always had a pioneering spirit – from the distinctive art nouveau advertising from the 1900s to the wide ranging vineyard research which has benefited the whole port trade. Champagne Louis Roederer, now the majority shareholder, perpetuates this philosophy and ensures continuity in a company renowned for wine-making excellence. The house tends 187 hectares of prime vineyards in the Alto Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the famed Douro region, the mountainous valley formed by the Douro River and its tributaries.

This 10 year old tawny is made by blending the harvests of different years of wines from the schistous Quinta de Ervamoira. The younger wines bring freshness and vibrancy of primary red fruits, while the older wines give complexity, spice and silkiness – the average age of the blend being 10 years, but with some wines being much older. Medium to pale ruby-tawny colour, aromas are rich and ripe, recalling red fruits, orange peel, almond and Christmas cake. Palate is smooth, sweet (106 g/l) and mellow, having excellent concentration and a long finish. Serve chilled with almond cake, creme brulé, or on its own with a square of dark chocolate.