Pale-medium golden tawny color; toffee, caramel, butterscotch, raisins, almonds, roasted hazelnut, orange peel, dried cherry, dried plum, bitter chocolate, oak spice on the nose and palate.
Sweet; firm tannins subdued by delicious, mellow sweetness and expertly balanced by acidity. Full body. Very concentrated, precise, smooth. An apex offering in the 20-year-old tawny lane by the master makers of porto (called port wine when not made in Portugal). Dessert in a glass. Although sweet, this is orders of magnitude different from sweet, unfortified, table wine you may rightfully despise. Every wine drinker should experience this to re-set how they think about wine. 20% ABV
I last reviewed this in February 2020. This version may have an engaging bit more nuttiness, but the joy of porto—certainly from Graham’s—is consistency. My judgment then, my judgment now—this is exceptional delight in which you should indulge.
Aged tawny porto is the top tier of tawny porto. And like most quality porto, this is made from the best wines of undeclared vintages. The grapes come from the Symington family’s vineyards in the Douro Valley. The grapes are fermented, then fortified with high proof grape spirits—brandy—to raise the ABV to 20%. Fortification gives tawny porto—all porto—sweetness because the added spirits kill the yeast before all the sugars have fermented into alcohol. The heat of the Douro Valley in eastern Portugal provides very ripe, fruity grapes.
After fermentation, tawny porto then ages in oak barrels. The minimum barrel aging is seven years. In this case, the wine aged in oak for an average of 20 years. Because it is a blend of vintages, some did not age 20 years in seasoned barrels, but just as certainly, some aged longer. When the label says 20 years, it is an average. The standard age designations for aged tawny are 10, 20, 30, 40 years. Warre’s sells a 90 year old tawny for $1,240. This 20-year-old is the most popular and best selling—by any maker—tawny porto on the market at $60–80.
People unfortunately pigeonhole porto as a winter wine to be sipped around a blazing fireplace. That is wrong. Porto is an all-year libation. Tawny portos usually are served chilled, which knocks down the alcohol heat on the finish and makes them a nice warm weather drink. Graham’s suggests enjoying this at a summer evening picnic paired with s’mores and a campfire under starry skies. Sounds wonderful. Sounds decadently delicious—exactly what 20-year-old porto is.
This is sealed with a T-cap, and because it is a fortified wine, it can remain fresh after opening for two to four months if stored in a cool, dark place—like a wine refrigerator. Graham’s portos traditionally are sweeter and more fruit-driven than others, and this qualifies. They also are sensationally smooth on the palate, delicious, and they virtually command you to take another sip—although at 20% ABV, some resistance is advised somewhere down the line.
Brothers William and John Graham established their firm in northwest Portugal to trade in textiles. In 1820, they accepted 27 barrels of porto in payment for a debt. Shortly thereafter, they decided to devote all their energies to making porto wine. The Symington family, the world’s major player in porto, acquired Graham’s in 1970, which represented an interesting twist.. A century before the founder of Symington, A.J. Symington, began his porto career at Graham’s.
W. & J. Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Porto: Thick, luscious, balanced, complex, focused, immensely attractive. Liquid equivalent of a brandy-soaked fruitcake. Dense, layered, polished, sublimely joyous experience. Serve slightly chilled. $60-80
Pairing—Certainly can be enjoyed all by itself, especially sipped with warm conversation among friends after a meal. If dessert is served—crème brûlée is classic pairing, vanilla ice cream, nut-based desserts, chocolate desserts; sticky toffee pudding, cinnamon-crusted apple pie, caramel apple, fig tarts. Cheese—Aged gruyère is exceptional; parmesan, manchego, aged cheddar; charcuterie board with almonds, walnuts; dried figs, apricots, dates.
