On the right-hand side of the ramp leading into the building is a show window, with further bottles including one in very fancy packaging which is their 80 year old tawny, and when you approach the window - or perhaps if you stand looking at it for long enough - a member of staff unsurprisingly appears to tell you about their offerings; if interested in making a purchase, you will be led inside and upstairs to their seating area and bar. It's a slightly unusual set-up since most of the lodges are keen to entice you in, while the Vanconcellos building is not welcoming in any way until you're inside and upstairs. However, at the far end of the show window by the ramp is one additional item of particular interest:
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This is the Vansconcellos tawny tasing pack, which includes their 20, 30, 40, 50, and (very very old) 80 year tawnies, in 60ml test tubes. For myself, and anyone else who is interested to taste their range and in particular their 80 year tawny before considering whether to spend >£1000 on a bottle, this tasting set offers that opportunity for 140 euros at time of writing.
While purchasing the tasting pack, we also tried samples of the 40year tawny and their 2017 vintage from their bar. I tasted the tawnies from the tasting pack not long after return to the UK; All of my notes are directly below since I think it is often easiest to talk about a range like this in comparison to each other, but I will also break them out separately for the forum tasting notes, since we only have a single Vasconcellos note there currently.
Vasconcellos 2017 vintage port (not part of tasting set)
Very young at this stage, full of tannins, quite dry style but well structured.
Rating: g+ (but too young to tell for the future).
Vasconcellos 20yt
A good 20 year tawny with lots of sevill oranges in the flavour; slight sourness initially, good acidity, then slightly sweet on finish with an odd edge.
Rating: g+
Vasconcellos 30yt
Similar in style to the 20yt, though much fuller (rather than more intense) flavour; Initially very fresh, full and rounder than the 20yt, perhaps a touch over-sweet to begin, but then later the acidity balances well, leading to a clean, slightly sour finish.
Rating: g/vg
Vasconcellos 40yt
Much more intensity, similar underlying flavour to the younger tawnies with the hint of seville orange in the back; much longer finish, with slight bitterness at the end, this was very enjoyable.
Rating: vg/vg+
Vasconcellos 50yt
Slight more intense than the 40yt, but with much more complexity and depth. Slightly dryer, and only a hint of the orange, again with a slightly sour finish.
Rating: vg+
Vasconcellos 80yt
Much, much darker with a greening rim, slightly thicker legs, and an incredible nose.
Huge intensity, with lovely waves of complexity with toffee, burnt caramel, walnuts and hints of cigar, very well balanced by a wonderful huge acidity; great length and clean finish. Wonderful intense-style very old tawny.
Rating: ex/ex+
As this was a producer with which I had no previous experience, I was very interested to see how the wines would show, and in general I enjoyed them, and the 80yt is wonderful provided you like huge intensity. Am very glad I picked up the tasting pack and had the chance to try these.