Kopke FINE Tawny Porto

Kopke, the Oldest Port house and a specialist in oxidative wines, makes this Fine Tawny by blending Douro wines of different harvests and ageing them in oak casks. The fruit is fermented and fortified with grape spirit in the traditional manner before the components are drawn together for maturation in wood.

Time in cask is what gives the wine its character. Gentle contact with air through the wood fades the colour to a vivid orangey-brown and turns fresh grape flavour into the honeyed, nutty register that defines Tawny, with the casks adding vanilla and a drying grip toward the finish.

The nose shows ripe honeyed fruit, vanilla and walnut, while the palate is smooth and round, full of enveloping flavour with a gentle tug of tart acidity and soft drying tannins. Serve lightly chilled between 12 and 14 degrees, alongside caramel and nut desserts, aged cheese or a plate of dried fruit.