Aged Blends and Colheita (Single Harvest) Tawny Ports are true oenological gems, celebrated for their complexity and rich flavours. This style of Port is a masterpiece of time and patience, offering connoisseurs a unique taste experience.
Tawny wines are known for their prolonged aging in wooden barrels (oak, cherry, chestnut or pine), which gives them an amber colour and unparalleled aromatic complexity. Aged tawny blends are a unique selection within this category. To produce these wines, the winemakers carefully select wines from different vintages/years, all totaling a specific average age, such as 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years.
This blend is idealized to capture the character and depth only decades of aging can provide. Kranemann produces 10, 20 and 30-year-old Tawny, and we intend to start producing older wines soon. During aging, the Tawny loses its original ruby colour and acquires shades of amber and gold due to oxidation. Contact with the barrels/tunnels/vats' wood contributes notes of walnut, caramel, dried fruit and spices, creating a robust and elegant flavour profile. The blend of different batches and ages allows the winemakers to balance freshness and complexity perfectly.
Colheitas are another type of Tawny Port, but with one crucial difference: they are only made with wine from a specific year. Each harvest reflects that year’s climatic and soil characteristics, making each bottle unique. After vinification, the Colheitas are also aged in barrels for a minimum of 7 years before they can be bottled. The bottle always shows two years: the year of harvest and the year of bottling, indicating the correct age of the wine - aging time in wood. One can find bottles of Colheita from the same year with decades of aging in wood and others with less time in wood and bottle aging. The wine is the same, but its evolution is different, so it has different characteristics when tasted. As a result, we can find bottles of Colheitas from the same year on the market at different prices/values. The cause of this distinction in pricing is the evolution of the wine. For example, we can have the same Colheita 1995 bottled in 2002, which has been in the bottle until 2024. We find the same production from 1995 bottled only in 2024, being in the wood until now.
In our wine portfolio, we produced an excellent-quality Colheita 1999, demonstrating the year's uniqueness and potential. The Colheita 1999 is a wine from a more limited and specific production and is already sold out.
While dated Tawny blends offer a consistency of flavour and complexity over the years, Colheitas are like time capsules, providing specific insight into the year they were produced. Both styles have their merits: dated Tawny blends are ideal for those who appreciate harmonious complexity, while Colheitas are perfect for those who want to explore the nuances of a single-year production. It should be noted that this quality of Port is filtered before being bottled, so it loses its potential for aging in the bottle.
With a high alcohol content of around 19 percent, the Aged Tawny Blends are rich and powerful wines. To make the most of their qualities, the serving temperature is crucial. Although many people consider Port wine drinks to be enjoyed at room temperature, Tawny Ports, especially older ones, can be even more enjoyable when served slightly cooler, between 10ºC and 12ºC.
Serving the wine at this temperature emphasizes its nutty, caramel and dried fruit notes and also provides a refreshing contrast to its natural sweetness and alcohol content. This approach allows each layer of flavour to unfold gradually, providing a richer and more rewarding tasting experience, with the alcohol content not being so pronounced. Aged tawny blend wines are a true testament to the art of winemaking and the power of time. Their complexity and depth make them an exceptional choice for special occasions or to be savoured slowly, appreciating every note and nuance. As our winemaker, Susete Melo, often says, "These are wines to talk".
Comparing them with Colheitas, we can see that both styles have much to offer, depending on what you want when you drink a glass of Port. Remembering to serve your Tawny slightly cooler can transform your tasting experience, allowing the wine to shine to its full potential.
