Sandeman, Imperial Tawny Port

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 students at the University of Porto, while the sombrero was a nod to the family’s presence in Jerez.

Bought by the Guedes family in 2002, today Sandeman Ports are every bit as famous as the image of the Don. In the last two decades, significant investments have been made in both the vineyards and the winery, ensuring Sandeman’s reputation as one of the world’s leading Port houses. The fact that their winemaker, Luís Sottomayor, was crowned Fortified Winemaker of the Year at the 2022 International Wine Challenge is a testament to this.

The state-of-the-art Sandeman winery, built in 2007, is at the beautiful Quinta do Seixo, situated on the south bank of the Douro, just downstream from Pinhão. The winery is perched on top of a hill, surrounded by vast terraces of vines, some of which are over 100 years old. Quinta do Seixo comprises 108 hectares, 71 of which are planted under vine. Many plots here boast the highest ‘A’ classification under the ‘Cadastro’ (or ‘vineyard register’) system, which ranks the quality of Douro vineyards based on 12 parameters, including locality, elevations, yield, soil type, grape variety, and vine training, age and density.

The Single Quinta Vintage Port from Quinta do Seixo is a beautiful expression of this estate. Almost half of the grapes in the blend come from a small field-blend plot of over 100-year-old vines, which are extremely low-yielding and produce intensely concentrated fruit. The 2022 vintage was characterised by a warm and mostly dry winter, followed by unusually hot and dry conditions (with record temperatures of 46.5°C recorded in Pinhão) throughout the summer. Cooler temperatures and some rain in mid-September allowed the vines to recover, resulting in a Port of excellent acidity and an elegant, harmonious and complex profile that shows intense notes of blackberry, spices and a stony minerality, leading into a long finish.

A Vintage Port is only produced in truly outstanding years. Luís described 2018 as “one of the best, if not the best, vintage years I have witnessed” and Sandeman’s example was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2023 International Wine Challenge. The 2018 Vintage Port comprises a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão and Tinto Cão sourced from the best plots on the Quinta do Seixo and Quinta do Vau estates and foot-trodden in Quinta do Seixo’s granite lagares. It bears the Sandeman hallmarks of powerful structure and incredible depth of flavour.

The Sandeman Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage is one of the best LBVs currently on the market. A blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão, it boasts intense aromas of ripe black fruits with a chocolatey richness.

The Sandeman range of Aged Tawny Ports is the most highly awarded of any Port House. These intense and complex Ports undergo extended ageing periods in oak casks, in the Sandeman lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. The 10-Year-Old Tawny marries mellow fruit flavours with nutty hints. The 20-Year-Old received the 20-Year-Old Tawny Trophy at the International Wine Challenge in 2025. Its intense flavours of dried fruits, caramel and roasted nuts are balanced by a lovely freshness. Moving up the scale towards ever greater complexity, the intensity and sprightliness of the 30-Year-Old is remarkable given how long it has aged in cask, and, fittingly, it was awarded the 30-Year-Old Tawny Trophy at the International Wine Challenge in 2024. As proven by the many trophies and ‘Best in Show’ awards that it has been garlanded with over the years, the 40-Year-Old is a beauty. Sandeman’s 50-Year-Old is the pinnacle of premium Tawny Port. A blend of Tawnies aged between 40 to 70 years in cask; it has staggering complexity and length.