Ramos Pinto Quinta Bom Retiro 20 year old tawny

Ramos Pinto Quinta Bom Retiro 20 Year Old Tawny is made by Casa Ramos Pinto from one of the oldest estates in the Douro, the Quinta do Bom Retiro in Cima Corgo, set above the Torto River. The estate spans 109 hectares at altitudes from 110 to 400 metres, planted with native grapes including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Tinta Cão on vines aged between ten and eighty years. The old vines and steep slate soils give low yields of concentrated fruit. After fortification with grape spirit, the wine is aged for an average of twenty years in seasoned oak casks. Slow, steady contact with oxygen through the wood fades the colour to amber and develops the dried fruit, nut and spice character that marks an aged tawny, while gentle evaporation concentrates the wine. The colour is amber with a tawny rim. The nose offers dried apricot, grapefruit, almond and hazelnut, with cocoa, vanilla and toast from the long ageing. The palate is smooth, fine and persistent, with a long nutty finish. Serve lightly chilled at 12 to 14 degrees in a small glass. It suits nut desserts, dried fruit and hard cheese.