NV Ramos Pinto Tawny 30 yrs

This Quinta is more than 100 years old and it’s located in the sub-region of Cima Corgo, near Pinhão, in the Douro and it is washed by the waters of the river Torto. It covers a total surface area of 110 ha, which vary between an altitude of 110 and 400 metres. 62 ha of this Quinta is planted to vines with an average age of 40 years. We have planted only local grape varieties. This Quinta has been used as experimental field to study the best plantation technique suited to the terroir of the Douro. Vineyards have been planted in the traditional terraces and in patamares, but vertical planting (“vinha ao alto”) is also used. The grapes from Quinta do Bom Retiro produce elegant and complex wines with great ageing potential.

Winemaker notes

A magnificent tawny color with orange tones. The bottom of the glass is bright, with traces of tawny-red that develop into a greenish halo characteristic of old cask-aged wines. It has an admirably elegant aroma. At first, it is warm and charming. Aromas of vanilla and dry fruit and nuts immediately appear as the result of its aging process. Upon agitation of the glass, spicy aromas such as cinnamon and cocoa become prominent. Satiny and long-lasting in the mouth. A taste of nuts such as almond and hazelnut is followed by a surprising and pleasant freshness produced by ethereal flavors, culminating with a taste of liquorice.

Tasting notes

Wine Advocate 93: The NV RP 30 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in February 2020 with a bar-top cork and 139 grams of residual sugar. Showing more complexity and notably more sweetness than the 20 Year also reviewed this issue, this is along the lines of the last release (the 2018) that I saw a while back. As it opens and the sugar blows off, especially a couple of days later, this shows off its complexity even more, but also just a touch of harshness. The key difference is really the complexity versus the freshness—in other words, about what you'd expect. The 20 Year has almost as much concentration and power as this elegant 30 Year, but the 20 Year is fresher and even more elegant (not that the 30 isn't rather fresh for its age), while the 30 Year is far more nuanced. I personally slightly preferred this, as I usually lean toward complexity, but reasonable minds might differ. As noted with the 20 Year, the end-date drinking window is just a placeholder. Barring a cork failure, this should hold well indefinitely—although it does not need aging.

Wine Enthusiast 94: This Port is a triumph. Its age and its concentration are on one side of an equation that brings out the elegance of the style of this producer and the balance of sweetness, dark-toffee flavors and acidity are on the other. The wine is very ready to drink.