Winemaker Notes
Singled out for its exceptional characteristics, Sandeman Porto Vintage 2011, a wine from a single year, will age in the bottle for 30 or 40 years. This outstanding 2011 Vintage Porto is an example of Sandeman's commitment to quality Porto winemaking.
The wine is complex yet elegant in character. Almost opaque, it is purple-deep crimson to the rim. On the nose it entices with aromas that include blueberry and cassis, notes of cedar and cigar boxes as well as hints of nutmeg, saffron and black pepper. On the palate, its balance impresses. The lively, powerful, close knit tannins are integrated with the elegant acidity to support the rich flavours of ripe red berry fruits and the cedar notes from its time in oak. The finish is persistent and memorable.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Well-proportioned, showing fine balance and grip to the fresh boysenberry, red plum and wild cherry flavors. Intense black fig and dark chocolate notes appear on the firm, powerful finish. Best from 2040 through 2060. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,250 cases made.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Sandeman Vintage Porto has a very precise nose that is imbued with far more clarity than previous vintages: pure black cherries, minerals, creme de cassis and violets, like a super-charged Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, the black cherries intermingling with marmalade, fig and raisin. It is seductive toward the finish, confirming its impressive showing out-of-barrel last year. This is without doubt the finest Sandeman of the modern age.
-
Wine & Spirits
Sandeman gets a refresh with the 2011 vintage. Now part of Sogrape and positioned as its top Port selection by winemaker Luis Sottomayor, this classic brand hasn’t produced a vintage of this quality since 1963. Rather than the traditional, rather lean style of Sandeman from the early 20th century, this is powerfully ripe and black, the aroma robed in purple fruit, the flavors running deep. The concentration is apparent from the color to the constricting intensity of the tannins, which hold the finish to a savory length. A gracious wine on a big scale, this is designed to power through the decades ahead.
-
James Suckling
Very dark color here. Crushed blackberries and minerals on the nose. Very pure and focused. Full body, medium sweetness, firm and silky with pretty fruit on the finish. Very refined.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F. To learn more, see our full Port Wine Guide
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.