NV Quinta de la Rosa 20 Year Old Tawny Port Portugal (500 mL) 500 ml

You can’t talk about single-quinta ports without mentioning Quinta de la Rosa. They helped kick-start the trend of making estate port in the 80s, and their 20 Year Old Tawny is a generous, balanced reminder of what made the style a Douro Valley game-changer.

Unlike classic vintage ports, single-quinta ports like this tawny don’t blend grapes from several locations. Rather, they’re an estate’s representation of their specific terroir—and you’ll scarcely find a terroir more breathtaking than Quinta de la Rosa’s.

Their stone-terraced vineyards rise dramatically above the Douro River at gradients that would get an alpine skier’s adrenaline pumping. Starting near the river’s banks and extending to the top of the ridge—around 1,300 feet in elevation, the vineyards move through 11 different microclimates, yielding grapes that lend this port incredible complexity.

Aged in 550-liter “pipes” for an average of two decades, Quinta de la Rosa’s Tawny Port is lively and rich, with aromas of spice and citrus accompanying a medium-bodied palate full of fruit enlivened by a vibrant acidity. Decanter awarded the wine 95 points, praising the wine’s broad spectrum of nuanced flavors.

The Bergqvist family have owned the estate since 1906, and though they later became the first growers to produce a single-quinta port from Quinta de la Rosa's grapes, they initially sold all their grapes to larger bodegas. In 1988, however, enterprising third-generation proprietor Sophia Bergqvist convinced her father, Tim, to focus on bottling their own ports.

This bottle shows the exceptional shrewdness of that move. Made in a house style that’s slightly drier than the norm, it packs immediate pleasure but has the stamina to age gracefully for at least another decade.