I often indulge in a dessert or fortified wine & Port always seems to hit the spot, whether I feel for a rich LBV or Vintage, a fruity & sweet Ruby or in this case a complex & slightly oxidized Tawny. I love to have them on their own or with a simple piece of fine chocolate. It’s my first try with Gran Cruz, so I decided to go ahead & taste their Tawny 10 years.
Porto Cruz Tawny 10 years
Produced & bottled by: Gran Cruz
Type: Fortified - Port Wine from Cima Corgo, Portugal
Region: San João de Pesqueira, Porto DOC, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
Aging: 10 years in oak casks
ABV: 19%
Grapes: 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinta Barroca, 30% other varieties.
Appearance: 9/10
The Port comes in a wooden box with a transparent plastic panel, which gives the impression of prestige. It’s shaped in the classic Port bottle with a plastic & cork top, a great touch to help preserve the wine by limiting the contact with the oxygen. Once in the glass it’s a pale brown-orange colour, similar to clay & slightly transparent. When swirled, some fat legs start falling down at a slow pace back into the liquid. The visual is really appealing & entices me to take a sip.
Nose: 12.5/15
The first thing to come to mind when I smelled the wine was strong balsam notes. Once accustomed to the bouquet, some smoky maple pecans appear as well as dried figs, dates, raisins & candied orange peel. An amalgam of baking spice is also present but plays a supportive role lending some depth with notes similar to cinnamon, walnuts, cardamom, cloves, vanilla, burnt brown sugar & caramel. The nose is quite pungent although it unravels a subtle complexity. An elegant perfume for a Tawny 10 years which are sometimes too alcoholic or unbalanced.
Mouth: 13/15
The balsam still manages to dominate the flavour profile although the smokiness & the nuttiness seem to take more space adding some balanced nuances. The other aromas stay in their supportive role, giving some complexity without stealing the show. The palate is sweet, of course, but also possesses a vibrant acidity & a light bitterness to compensate. The body is quite full with some creamy & velvety tannins & a warm alcohol presence.
Finish: 8/10
The finish carries the balsamic notes through the end on an everlasting finale. The fruity, nutty & spicy aromas are still present but leaves first, decreasing the complexity & forcing me to take another sip to get back to that lovely feeling.
Overall: 85/100
I’m very impressed by this Port wine. I must admit I had a bad feeling about this one since it comes from such a big Quinta. I was afraid it was going to be too industrial, lacking flavours, but I was wrong. This is a great bottle for only 10 years, I can’t wait to try their other products.
3-word description:
Balsam, nutty & dried fruits.
The Reference
More information @porto-cruz.com/en
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