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10 Year Tawny Porto: Blind Battle!

chris wrote this on March 7, 2009

I realized that I had been reviewing a lot of French wines lately so lest I be labeled a francophile, I decided to do a head to head review of two 10 yr Tawny Portos. I reviewed each of these 10 yr tawnies blind so that I would not be influenced by price or the location where it was sold.

Smith Woodhouse 10 Year Old Tawny (NV)
$33 (750 mL bottle) @ Wine Authorities in Durham

Quinta De Ventozelo 10 yrs old Tawny (NV)
$18 (375 mL bottle) or $36 (750 mL bottle) @ Total Wine at Brier Creek

For those not familiar with Port, it is a fortified wine from Portugal (also called Porto or Oporto). It gets its name from the city of Oporto, where the great Douro River empties into the Atlantic Ocean in the north of Portugal. It is a blend of red grapes, and although there are over 80 authorized varieties allowed in the blend, the most important grapes used are Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (also known as Temperanillo). Port is fortified by adding brandy during fermentation. This extra alcohol stops the fermentation process and leaves residual grape sugars in the wine, giving it a sweet flavor.

To create a tawny, the winemaker ages the fortified wine in oak barrels for about 3 years, allowing the port to evaporate without topping off the barrel. This concentrates the port’s flavors, extracts caramel flavors from the oak, and oxidizes the wine to its signature tawny color.

Port is not only a blend of grapes, but most of them are also a blend of wines from different years (vintage ports from a single year being the exception). The better ports will have an age indication on their label, being the average age of all the wines blended to make the port. In the case of the ports I am reviewing, the average age of the blended wines is 10 years. You normally see 10 year increments for tawnies, from 10 years to 40 years.

The Smith Woodhouse tawny was the first I tasted blind. It had a rich caramel toffee nose with plenty of figs and hints of orange peel. The rich sugary smell reminded me of creme brulee. On the palate I found it to be lighter bodied than I had anticipated, with lots of citrus peel and only hints of the caramel sweetness from the nose. The finish was also light but with decent length, leaving a nice figgy-caramel aftertaste.

Because of its lighter body, I rated it only a B for style and quality, expecting more body and “oomph” from a 10 yr tawny. At $33 a bottle, I also rated it a B for value. Its a fair price to pay for a 10 yr tawny but reminded me of the lighter, simpler N.V. Tawnies that cost half the price.

Smith Woodhouse Overall rating: B

The Quinta De Ventozela was up next. Its nose was more subtle, with nice citrus peel, honey, and date aromas. The caramel wasn’t as rich as the Smith Woodhouse on the nose, but on the palate you get plenty of caramel and molasses along with hints of the citrus peel. Much fuller bodied than the Smith Woodhouse, what I expected from a 10 yr tawny. It also has a nice gingerbread flavor on the finish that lasts and lasts. Noticed a bit of alcohol burn on the finish (more than normal for a port) but other wise well balanced.

I rated the Quinta De Ventozela an A for 10 yr tawny style and quality. Its very rich and I love the gingerbread finish. I would have rated an A+ if the alcohol was less noticeable and it had a smoother finish.

I rated it a B+ for value, a bit on the high $$ side for a 10 yr tawny but the quality is worth the few extra dollars spent.

Quinta De Ventozela Overall Rating: A-

Overall Winner: Quinta De Ventozela

Until the next wine!- Chris

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