Bright amber color with notes of toffee caramel, crushed walnut, orange marmalade, turmeric and praline. Medium body. Bright and vivid on the palate with steady acidity and medium sweetness. Delicious and so lively for a tawny. Almonds, too. Drink or hold.

The NV 20 Years Old Tawny Porto is a typical Douro blend bottled in August 2022 with a Vinolok cork and 129 grams per liter of residual sugar. For a lot of folks, a 20 Year is the sweet spot in the lineup for Tawnies: It's fresh, so you don't worry about cracking fruit; it's reasonably complex, so it's old enough to be serious; and most of all, it is actually affordable compared to some of the really old ones. This is lovely. Showing a trace of caramel and darker chocolate flavors, this is still dominated by its freshness. Its lively acidity lifts the fruit and allows the flavors to dribble over the palate. It is tightly wound and very focused. It tastes great too, finishing with a touch of sugar and big fruit. That dries out with time and becomes a bit less exuberant and a bit more stern. It acquires a very serious demeanor. It is hard to resist. (MS)

Stylish, with a mix of dried peach and mango notes laced with a subtle cinnamon hint and backed by bergamot and balsam wood on the lengthy finish. (JM)