Selected Awards Silver & 90 points - International Wine Challenge Silver - Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Silver - SF International Wine Competition Production Year - a blend of high-quality harvests aged an average of 6 to 7 years (hence the specification "Fine", "Finest" or "Reserve" Tawny to indicate a step up from a basic Tawny, for which Tawny Port wines with at least 3 years of age can be blended in). Grapes - Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta da Barca, and Rufete. Terroir - schist soil, Mediterranean climate (low, yearly rainfall and dry, hot summers), grade A classified vineyards. Winemaking - hand-picked, estate-grown grapes undergo pre-fermentation line-up maceration with 3-4 hours per day of foot-treading in traditional lagares for 2 days followed by 2 days of temperature-controlled fermentation, by which the grapes' natural sugar is consumed and turned into alcohol by native yeasts. When the natural sugar levels decrease by half, we stop fermentation via fortification with grape brandy. The Port wine is then aged for a minimum of 6 years in neutral, French oak, 500 liter (130 gallon) puncheons and 225 liter (60 gallon) barrels before blending with other 6 to 7-year-old Tawny ports. Annual Production - 14,000 bottles Alcohol - 19.5% Tasting See - brownish with amber highlights. Smell - mixed dried fruits (strawberries, figs, hazelnuts, and walnuts), notes of tangerine, cinnamon, and curry. Sip - fresh hazelnuts and almonds with some licorice, stewed strawberries and plums, some more youthful structure to maintain an intense half-mouth, sweet, long and persistent finish. Enjoy - now or within 3 years, chilled (10°C/50°F) with endless versatile pairings; roasted nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), savory marmalades (onion or mushroom) or spreads (foie gras, pork rillettes, chicken liver), with appetizers (bacalhau brandade stuffed gougères with romesco sauce), hard, aged cheeses (comté, parmesan), and cream, baked orchard fruit, or caramel based desserts (crème brûlée, apple or pecan pie) or simple mixed into a fresh melon, strawberry, banana fruit salad.
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