Vale do Tabua 10 Year Old Tawny Port

[Stewart T.]

Bottled in 2020. This bottle came to us from a friend in Portugal who found this producer at a local farmer’s market, so he sent us a bottle to taste and evaluate. Amber-brown in color. On the subtle nose I get some light stewed cranberries and red currant, and some herbal and nutty notes. On the entry, it has a nice, balanced flavor profile but not a lot of complexity. There is a sweetness on the entry that slowly gives way to more complex notes of dried figs and dates on the mid-palate. This wine vaguely reminds me of wines that have “Douro Bake,” a condition where wines have been exposed at some point to excessive heat in the hot Douro Valley. While this wine seems a little simplistic overall right now, I think it has a little potential to develop a more complex flavor profile. 88 points.