Portuguese Style Tawnies

[John M.]

I opened a 1992 Quevedo Colheita and had no nuttiness to it. Andy said because it was made in the "Portuguese Style".

So got me wondering, how exactly does a wine maker make this style. Is it the type of wood? Are we adding nuts to the barrels to get nuttiness (silly---but you get where I am coming from)?

Just curious......

[Andy Velebil]

The larger the vessel used to age the slower the aging process becomes. Thus it retains its youthful characteristics longer. If you use smaller vessels the aging rate increases.

That’s a relatively simple way of describing it as there are many ways to age a tawny. But hopefully it helps a little.

[Mike J. W.]

The larger the vessel used to age the slower the aging process becomes. Thus it retains its youthful characteristics longer. If you use smaller vessels the aging rate increases.

That’s a relatively simple way of describing it as there are many ways to age a tawny. But hopefully it helps a little.

So is Quevedo using larger or smaller barrels then?

[Glenn E.]

The larger the vessel used to age the slower the aging process becomes. Thus it retains its youthful characteristics longer. If you use smaller vessels the aging rate increases.

That’s a relatively simple way of describing it as there are many ways to age a tawny. But hopefully it helps a little.

So is Quevedo using larger or smaller barrels then?

Some of both, as I recall. They definitely keep some of their Port in larger tonais as I've tasted from them before (including the 1992), but I believe that they also put some of it in smaller pipas and then blend the results together to get their own distinct profile. But I would still definitely call them a Portuguese style.

They sometimes include samples of in-progress experiments in their Advent calendar. If you enjoy the Quevedo style, I highly recommend getting the calendar each year! It's lots of fun.

[Eric Menchen]

Temperature is another factor that can really affect the flavor profile. I've heard of plenty of people refer to the "Douro bake," as the wines stored upriver classically (without refrigeration) get more heat than those stored in VNdG. As I recall (but I'm scratching my head), I think the Portuguese style is more baked.

[Glenn E.]

Temperature is another factor that can really affect the flavor profile. I've heard of plenty of people refer to the "Douro bake," as the wines stored upriver classically (without refrigeration) get more heat than those stored in VNdG. As I recall (but I'm scratching my head), I think the Portuguese style is more baked.

I think that most people would consider "baked" a flaw, though not necessarily a bad one especially if it is very light. Call it more of a technical flaw, maybe? I.e. I don't think that producers would intentionally allow their wines to become baked, but if it does happen it's not necessarily a horrible thing to have had happen.

So while I wouldn't say that "baked" is part of what I'd call the Portuguese style of Tawny Port, I do feel like it's something that is more likely to be noticed in Ports made in that style.

Does that make sense?

[Eric Menchen]

Perhaps "baked" is going too far. But heat without ruining the wine can give different pleasant flavors.