Alves de Sousa - Quinta da Gaivosa Porto Tawny 10 ans d'âge

The “Quinta da Gaivosa” NV 10-year-old white port was bottled in July 2014 with a bar-top cork. It is a blend of vats with 97 grams per liter of residual sugar. This wine was tasted from a 500-ml bottle. Fresh and lively, it finishes with notes of sugar, herbs, and spices. It is easy to drink and unpretentious. As it opens up, it becomes slightly more concentrated and full-bodied, yet remains elegant and graceful. It adds a layer of depth to the Caldas white Port—also reviewed in this issue—along with a touch of sweetness and spice, but it remains relatively dry, concentrated, and rather understated. Overall, this is a pleasant, summery-style Port that offers a refreshing quality thanks to its impeccable balance. It isn’t specifically designed for bottle aging, but—barring a cork failure—it will undoubtedly hold up for a decade or two. Like a Tawny, it’s very resilient. Tasted over several days, it was, at best, slightly better. But drink it. It’s enjoyable now, and there’s no need to dilute it. 2015–2035

Deep color, more brown than orange. Dark umber. Distinctive, savory, woody aroma. The taste is drier than some, and the sweet-and-sour complexity masks any hint of alcohol—almost a hint of yeast extract. Beautifully balanced. It’s a bit more expensive than many 10-year-old Tawnies, but it’s also far superior and well worth the extra cost.