I am preparing Lamb Shanks- which will braise in a new recipe that calls for Port wine. I bought three different bottles but selected this $15 Tawny for the job. I’m hoping it makes for a rich and silky gravy when I am finished. In the glass this fortified wine is pale tawny (LOL) in color, the 19.5% ABV evident by the thick legs running down the inside of the glass. The nose gives me dried nuts, stewed plum, prunes, cooked rhubarb, raisins and a dusty wood component. The palate is off-dry with very rich cooked fruit as mentioned, dried nuts and very integrated tannins. Medium acidity coupled with the richness of the fruit and structure from the tannins makes for a very nice mouthfeel that is medium to full bodied. The finish is medium in length but the tannins grip for a long while. I like this bottle, a lot. I did not care as much for the Tawny style when I last tried it but this producer has crafted a very rich offering that gets 91 points from me. Can’t wait to see how it transforms the sauce. 5 stars, worthy of keeping a few bottles laying around for an after-dinner tipple. Salut….
Sandeman Fine Tawny NV, Porto, Portugal
03 Thursday Feb 2022
Posted Wine
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