Whilst not normally fond of 10-year-old tawnies, during a recent visit to Quinta de la Rosa I received a text message from a port connoisseur of considerable repute, recommending highly that I should haul away some wines of this age. I did as instructed and the advice proved to be sage.
The port was light amber in colour, with a hint of rust, and entirely translucent; that is, its appearance was sublime – and nothing like a 10-year-old. Not in my experience, at any rate. It took some swirling of the glass to coax forth the wine’s aromas, though patience in this respect brought a pleasing mix of forest undergrowth, caramel, nutmeg and memories of walnuts gathered several days prior from a tree in the Douro. On the mouth, simple syrup and ripe pear were evident on entry, giving way to orange zest, peppermint and white pepper. Only at the agreeable finish of medium length did the gentle, residual tannins become evident. Contrary to my customary experience with tawnies of this age, the aguardiente was well integrated; that is, the wine was mercifully bereft of heat.
Bottled in 2015, this tawny remained very well balanced, with no indication that the acidity is going to give out anytime soon. Although not terribly complex, as is to be expected from a tawny of such youth, and rather thin in body, this unusual product of Quinta de la Rosa is to be recommended. At the quinta – which I suspect is the only place at which this wine is likely to be found – it is priced most reasonably relative to the tasting experience.
-89 points
NV Passagem 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Moderators: Glenn E., Andy Velebil