This wine has a tawny color with a yellow halo that signifies an advanced stage of maturity. This is the genuine color of a 20-year-old cask-aged wine. It has a warm red color with a slight orange tone at the bottom of the glass. There is a lively aroma with a velvety texture. The aromas include those of fruit (grapefruit, apricot, almond, hazelnut and cocoa bean); wood (vanilla, old Port wine casks and phenol), roasted aromas such as cinnamon, caramel and coffee; and ethereal aromas of stearin and iodine. Smooth and dry in the mouth, the wine is complemented by a rich and generous persistence of flavor. It has a fine and delicious attack. The elegance of the first contact with the palate is maintained through a complex sequence of ripe and dried fruits and nuts in a fresh and licorice-like harmony.
Unusually, Ramos Pinto’s 10- and 20-year-old tawnies are single-estate wines. From Quinta do Bom Retiro in the Cima Corgo, this is a bold style with savory depth. Ruddy tawny in hue, with caramelized tarte tatin, black cardamom, marmalade and intriguing earthier molasses and ozone riffs to its dried apricot fruit, as well as praline and coffee notes. Rich, mouth filling and velvety. Decanter – 94
