Sandeman Veil

[Roy Hersh]

Press Release:

SANDEMAN VEIL: A UNIQUE TAWNY PORT WITH WINES OVER 90 YEARS


In a very limited edition, this exclusive Port emphasizes Sandeman’s longstanding legacy in the art of blending

Sandeman, the globally recognized Port house from Portugal’s historic producer, Sogrape, announces the launch of Veil: a special, very old, Tawny Port with wines over 90 years. To celebrate and honor Sandeman’s 230 years of history and the 90th anniversary of its iconic symbol – The Don – Veil was created to illustrates the brand’s exceptional expertise and superior quality of its Aged Tawnies. Sandeman Veil is a rare, complex, and elegant wine.

Inspired by his predecessors who have passed down the importance and rigor of aging quality wines since the mid-19th century, Sandeman’s head winemaker Luís Sottomayor embarked on a meticulous undertaking to create this very old Tawny Port. Sottomayor discusses the process and says, “In our search for the ideal blend for Sandeman Veil, our team had an enormous privilege of tasting many wines with great quality and age. The wines that made up the final blend were chosen for their particular characteristics – sweetness, acidity, and aromas – that are distinct but also balanced.”

George Sandeman, 7th generation of the founding family adds, “Veil is a sublime example of a legacy built over many years. It is a tribute to the work of our previous winemakers and blenders to achieve a unique combination of old Tawnies with distinct but complementary personalities.”

A product this special deserves to be housed in a vessel crafted as carefully as the wine itself. Sandeman worked with Vista Alegre, a world-renowned Portuguese crystal and porcelain crafting company, to develop the delicate bottle and capsule. The bottle silhouette pays homage to The Don, evoking the enigmatic and romantic nature of Sandeman’s mysterious character. Summoning a sense of curiosity, the bottle is enclosed in a rosewood case that “unveils” the legacy housed inside.

Sandeman Veil (SRP: $3,750 / bottle) will be available in limited quantities at fine wine and spirits retailers in the United States starting fall 2021.

[Luc Gauthier]

I'm in for an ounce

[Eric Ifune]

Will this have the Muitos Velhos designation?

[Eric Menchen]

So what is the average age? "...with wines over 90 years," isn't specific, and doesn't say that they are all exclusively over 90 years. I could put in 1% 91 year old tawny, 1% 92 year old tawny, and the rest 10 year old and make that statement. I don't think that is the case, but what is?

[Frederick Blais]

I'll try to get some answers Eric. Because I know that if you submit a 10 year Port for a 20 year old Tawny category, it could be accepted. Then it is a question of cross reference with your stocks. But if you have 10 000 liters of 20+ years old port and you only release 500 liters of that 10 year old, they will never know you cheated....

When it comes to very old Ports, what I was told, most of the Ports are off the grids, so it is a matter of trust and the criterias to approve them are not as strict.

[Glenn E.]

Because I know that if you submit a 10 year Port for a 20 year old Tawny category, it could be accepted.

This is not a flaw, but a "feature" of the system used for Port.

Port with an indication of age is judged to an organoleptic profile, not an actual age. I have been told stories - and sworn to secrecy - about Ports that were intentionally submitted to "incorrect" age profiles and accepted because they met the organoleptic guidelines, and also of Ports that were submitted to absolutely correct age profiles but rejected because they "tasted too old" for that age category. I've even been told a story of a Port that was nominally "too young" for a category being rejected because it tasted too old for that category.

I have not seen any of the documentation for the new categories, but I suspect that the above is true for them as well. The 50 Year Old and Muito Velho categories are likely defined by organoleptic qualities, not by their actual age. If you know how to age a Port so that it tastes 80 years old while in fact only being 50 years old, you'll be able to submit it as a Muito Velho and get it accepted.