The red cherry, raspberry liquorice, dates, and ripe fig tastes are all there at first, along with the usual flinty flavour of Touriga Nacional. Due to the brandy spirit used to strengthen this wine, herbaceous, savoury tastes can be found beneath the fruit flavours. Dried thyme, bergamot, and a hint of lavender are also present. The three years of bottle ageing and the well timed fortification of this wine have softened the Touriga tannin character and given the fruit and spirit the chance to meld and achieve a pleasing equilibrium in the glass.

This bright fortified wine shows lovely primary fruit characters with an underlying balanced sweetness. We think it pairs very well with smelly blue cheeses, the inherent sweetness of the wine perfectly balancing the umami savouriness of the the cheese.