Tawny Port 10 years - what does indication of age mean

[Sanjit Keskar]

In blended Scotches, a 10 year old scotch would be understood as the youngest age of scotch used in the blend

When a Tawny is 30 or 20 years old, is that a stylized age statement?

or are all the wines blended in minimum 10 years old

or is it an average age of 10 years and if so how is the same calculated

Please help me to understand this age statement on a bottle of Port better!

PS Is there any site where I can get information of the equipment used for vinification in particular fermentation of must for Port?

Thanks

[Eric Menchen]

It is a stylized statement. I refer you to the regulations (which came up on one of your other questions), https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/988313 . The 20 must taste like it is 20 years old, or more specifically, has the organoleptic character of a 20 year old blend. The IVDP judges this. In practice, most wines have an average age above that stated on the label, but this isn't legally required.

As for production equipment, I'm not sure of a great website, and will leave that for others to answer. There is a little information here. I've read some books, and visited with producers in the Douro. Primary fermentation takes place in lagares, typically granite, before the wine is moved to steel tanks, tonéis, baseleiros, or pipas, depending on the producer and wine style.

[Glenn E.]

It is a stylized statement. I refer you to the regulations (which came up on one of your other questions), https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/988313 . The 20 must taste like it is 20 years old, or more specifically, has the organoleptic character of a 20 year old blend. The IVDP judges this. In practice, most wines have an average age above that stated on the label, but this isn't legally required.

What Eric says is exactly correct. It is neither a minimum age nor an average age, it's a stylized statement of the organoleptic character of the blend.

But even when the average age is generally older than the number on the label, that "average age" can be interpreted differently by different producers because there is no legal standard for it. Is it the sum of the ages of the components divided by the number of components? Or is it a weighted average?

To illustrate this simply, if we have a 10 Year Old Tawny Port that is made from 75% 5 year old and 25% 15 year old, the average age could be either 10 or 7.5. The latter is the weighted average - it's "younger" because there is more 5 year old Port in the blend than 15 year old.

I believe that most Producers, when they bother to say anything to a tour group, mean the weighted average. But you never know.

[Sanjit Keskar]

Thank you Glen

Thank you Eric