Sandeman Founder's Reserve Ruby Port

Upon arrival at the winery, the hand-picked grapes were destemmed and crushed before fermentation at controlled temperatures, with a vigorous maceration on the skins and frequent punch downs to extract tannin, a deep ruby colour and plenty of flavour from the grapes. The ferment was closely monitored to determine the ideal moment to halt the fermentation by fortifying with grape spirit, leaving some of the grapes' natural sugars. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring following the harvest, when they were transported downstream to the Sandeman lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia for ageing in large oak casks. Throughout this time, the wines are regularly tasted and analysed by Luís and the oenology team. They prepare the final blend to retain Sandeman Founders Reserve's characteristic style. The wines selected are usually between three and five years old, resulting in a Port with an average age of four years. The final blend is filtered and cold-stabilised prior to bottling.