2016 VINTAGE PORT, Sandeman

40% Touriga Franca, 40% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinto Cão, 5% Sousão

From the website of the UK agents for Sandeman:
“There are few more iconic images in the world of wine than the ‘Don’, the logo created for the Sandeman family in 1928 by George Massiot Brown. The cape was modelled on the attire worn by university students in Porto, while the wide-brimmed hat was a nod to the family’s presence in Jerez. Today, the wines are good enough to be every bit as famous as the image of the Don. This hasn’t always been the case, but since Sogrape bought Sandeman from Seagram in 2002, the major investment that has taken place in the vineyards and the winemaking has seen them rise to the top of the tree in Port. The production of Port – especially Tawny – requires patience and a long-term vision, something which explains why families like the Guedes and the Symingtons are the major players in the Port business today.”

“2011 was noteable for its relatively rainy winter, which helped to replenish groundwater. During the spring, rainfall was slightly below average. There were two spikes of hot weather, one in April and the other, seriously hotter, in May. During June and July, temperatures were slightly below average, but in August the temperatures oscillated between very high and abnormally low, with rain throughout the whole region on 21st August and 1st September. These factors, combined with a hot, dry September, made for a very balanced and long ripening period. The season finished with grapes of very high quality.”

Impressive, even at this very early stage in its development