Fabelhaft Tawny Porto

Fabelhaft Tawny Porto sits in the entry range Dirk Niepoort created to show the Douro in a lighter, fresher register. The grapes are handpicked from low-yielding vineyards in the Cima Corgo and the wine is matured and blended at the family lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, carrying the raven-label identity of the Fabelhaft project.

Tawny Port ages oxidatively in seasoned oak casks rather than reductively in bottle, so contact with air and wood slowly shifts the colour from red toward amber and turns primary red fruit into nut, dried fruit and caramel tones. The blend is drawn to a young Tawny profile, with the oak softening the grape spirit and the Douro's natural acidity hOlding the sweetness in check.

The result is a soft amber wine with aromas of dried fig, walnut and toffee, a hint of orange peel, and a velvety palate that finishes long and gently spirity. Serve it lightly chilled as a digestif, with hard cheeses and toasted nuts, or beside caramel and coffee desserts.