Sandeman Imperial Tawny Port

The hand-picked grapes are destemmed and crushed before fermentation at controlled temperatures, with some skin maceration to extract flavour components from the skins. The addition of grape spirit at the ideal moment sets the balance between the wine's sweetness and bouquet. The moment of fortification is chosen by the winemaker following strict control of fermentation temperatures and densities according to the vine variety, maturation stage and the final sweetness required. After the harvest, the wines remain in the Douro until the following spring, when they are taken to Vila Nova de Gaia and enter Sandeman's centuries-old lodges for ageing in oak casks. The final blend is composed with wines from different ages and origins to achieve a consistent style and quality. The selected wines usually vary between 4 and 12 years of age, achieving an average age of about 7 years.