Description

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There are few more iconic images in the world of wine than the… ‘Don’, the logo created for the Sandeman family in 1928 by George Massiot Brown. The cape was modelled on the attire worn by university students in Porto, while the wide-brimmed hat was a nod to the family’s presence in Jerez. Today, the wines are good enough to be every bit as famous as the image of the Don. Since Sogrape bought Sandeman in 2002, the major improvements and investment that has taken place in the vineyards and the winemaking has seen the wines rise to the top of the tree in Port. The production of Port – especially Tawny – requires patience and a long-term vision, something which explains why families like the Guedes are among the major players in the Port business today.

Vineyards
The soil in the Douro Valley is made up of schist and the vines are grown on terraces cut into the steep hillsides of the Douro Valley. Each terrace can only hold up to three rows of vines.
Vintage Information
2013 was characterised by a cold, wet winter and spring leading to a delay in the vegetative cycle on the vine. Summer was warm and dry, and although there were heavy downpours at the end of September and start of October, they preserved quality and also enforced stoppages during the harvest. On average, the harvest began eight days later than usual. Despite these challenges, the resulting wines were of excellent quality.
Vinification
Sandeman LBV was produced by the traditional Port method, with a long, intense maceration during fermentation to extract tannin, colour and flavour from the skins. This was done both by foot-treading in traditional granite lagars (shallow vats), and by pumping over. Fermentation temperatures and densities were carefully monitored to choose the ideal moment to fortify. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring when they were transported to Vila Nova de Gaia to mature in large oak vats. The final blend was created from wines that had been carefully selected by regular tasting and analysis.
Tasting Notes
On the nose, the wine is intense and complex with aromas of balsamic, rose, basil, red and black fruits, as well as spicy notes of black pepper. On the palate, this wine has a lively acidity and robust tannins, complemented by an incredibly balanced finish.