10 Year Old Tawny Port

About this wine

This 10 year old Tawny Port from Sandeman is an aged, oxidative style of Port from the Douro, bottled under DOC Porto, and released ready to drink. It is made by the traditional Port method, with fermentation stopped by the addition of grape spirit, then matured in oak casks, with the final blend typically built from wines around 9 to 12 years of age. The blend commonly includes classic Douro grapes such as Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tempranillo by its Portuguese name, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, and Tinta Amarela, also known as Trincadeira. In the glass it shows an intense red tawny, brick like color, and a layered nose of ripe red fruit and jam, raisins, roasted nuts, caramel, and vanilla. The palate is full bodied and mellow, with a clear sweetness balanced by refreshing acidity, and a long, persistent finish, and it is bottled at 20 percent alcohol.

About the grape

Sandeman 10 Year Old Tawny Port is built on classic Douro red grapes, typically Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, plus Tinta Roriz, also known as Tempranillo, along with Trincadeira, often called Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão, and these lots are usually selected from warmer Cima Corgo sites and often include fruit from older mixed vineyards. Touriga Nacional is Portugal’s flagship variety, naturally low yielding with small thick skinned berries, so even small percentages can bring depth to a long aged blend, while Touriga Franca, a natural cross involving Touriga Nacional, is widely planted in the Douro for its steady crops and blending reliability. Tinta Roriz, the Portuguese name for Tempranillo, is valued for its ability to ripen well in hot valley conditions, giving solid mid palate material for fortified wines, while Trincadeira adds darker color and seasoning but needs dry air because it is sensitive to rot. Tinta Barroca, widely adopted in the Douro after the nineteenth century, is prized for sugar build and body in Port blends, and Tinto Cão is an older, low yield, late ripening grape that holds acidity and handles Douro heat, helping balance a tawny blend designed for long cask aging.

Quick facts

• 🕰️ “10 Years Old” is an age indication, not a vintage, Sandeman blends multiple lots so the average age in cask is about a decade, typically selecting wines around 9 to 12 years old for consistency.
• 🏛️ Sandeman’s Tawny 10 spends its long oxidative ageing in oak in the company’s historic lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, the famous riverside aging quarter across from Porto.
• 📜 The house behind it is one of Port’s oldest big names, founded in 1790 by George Sandeman in London, which helped make Port an international brand early on.
• 🦸‍♂️ The caped “Don” figure associated with Sandeman is one of wine’s most recognizable logos, turning the bottle into a piece of graphic design history as well as a drink.
• 🌿 The blend leans on classic Douro grapes like Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca plus Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and others, with a notable portion often coming from old vines in prime Cima Corgo sites including Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo.

Palate profile

Producer

Founded in 1790 by Scotsman George Sandeman, the Sandeman winery has been a pioneer in the Port wine industry for over two centuries. In 1805, it became the first company to brand its casks with a hot iron, ensuring quality and fostering customer loyalty. The iconic 'Don' logo, depicting a caped figure, was introduced in 1928 and remains one of the world's oldest trademarks. Today, Sandeman continues to blend tradition with innovation, offering a diverse range of Port wines.