NV Eirados Tawny 20YO (bottled 2021)
Posted: 19:49 Mon 29 Aug 2022
A visit to the independent wine shop Eynsham Cellars led to the discovery of a range of Ports with the brand "Porto Eirados", covering Tawny, 20YO, 2015 unfiltered LBV and possibly other styles not on the shelf. A quick look at the back label revealed the wines to have been bottled by Soc. Vit. Quinta Santa Eufemia Lda. Always interested in tasting Ports which are new to me I bought a bottle of the 20YO (bottled 2021). £40 for 75cl.
A deeply coloured, polished mahogany colour, sparkling in its clarity; perhaps 30% opaque. Rich on the nose, full of beeswax candles, lemon and lavender; a nose which is wonderfully rich and complex, promising much for the palate. The fruit on the palate is big and caramelised, matured in the Douro Valley to develop the characteristic caramelised and baked fruit. Powerful acidity balances the dried vine fruit, toffee and burnt sugar. Generous orange zest, a touch of coffee and the ever-present acidity combine to overwhelm the mouth and force you to swallow the wine. The aftertaste and finish are immense — huge in dried fruit flavours, huge in intensity and huge in duration! It takes several minutes for the flavours to fade away.
This is a big, rich and rather overwhelming 20YO. It has little of the finesse of some 20YO blends, instead the wine bulldozes its way through your senses much more in the way that some 40YO blends do. It's not a subtle wine, but it's a very good one and passes my ultimate quality test — I shall be having another glass now I have written this tasting note! It's not a cheap 20YO, but it's excellent value for what's in the bottle. 94/100.
Tasted without decanting on 29-Aug-2022.