Sandeman 10 Year Porto Tawny Wine
Sandeman 10 Year Porto Tawny Wine is the benchmark aged tawny of the house of "The Don" — 20% ABV, 750mL, a blend of Douro wines aged 9 to 12 years in oak casks in the Vila Nova de Gaia lodges, from Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 20%
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Tawny Port, "10 Years Old" category
- Ageing: Blend of wines 9–12 years old, oak casks, Vila Nova de Gaia
- Grapes: Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional (Sogrape tech sheet)
- Sugars: 101 g/L (producer tech sheet)
- Origin: Douro Valley, DOC Porto, Portugal (Sandeman, founded 1790; part of Sogrape since 2002)
Two Centuries of the Don
George Sandeman founded the house in London in 1790 on a £300 loan from his father, and it has been ageing Port in the Gaia lodges across the river from Porto ever since — the first company to brand its casks, from 1805, and the house behind "The Don," the cloaked silhouette created in 1928 that remains one of wine's most recognised marks. A tawny is where that cellar craft shows most: the wines are tasted, analysed and racked across the years until the blend holds its 9-to-12-year profile steady, vintage after vintage. The official page's recent scores tell the same story — Decanter 96/100 (2021) and International Wine Challenge 94/100 (2022). Pour it from our wine collection, or browse the house on the Sandeman vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Red-tawny with brick shading (official notes). Nose: Ripe fruit and jam with nuts, vanilla and raisin. Palate: Full-bodied and flavourful, the dried fruit and nut depth of a decade in oak. Finish: Persistent.
How to Enjoy
Serve at 12–16°C, lightly chilled, with no need to decant. It is the classic after-dinner Port — walnuts, aged cheese, crème brûlée — and half a glass alongside the cheese course is the Gaia way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "10 Years Old" mean on a tawny Port? It is a regulated age category: the blend's average profile corresponds to ten years, and Sandeman builds it from wines aged 9 to 12 years in oak — not from a single vintage.
How long does it keep after opening? The producer recommends consuming it within 2–3 months of opening; the cask ageing has already done the oxidation work, so it holds far longer than a table wine.
Should tawny Port be served chilled? Lightly — 12–16°C per Sandeman. Colder mutes the nuts and dried fruit; warmer makes the spirit show.
A decade in Gaia oak — buy Sandeman 10 Year Tawny Port online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.