This wine is aged for 4-6 years in large old oak vats (as opposed to Vintage Ports, which are aged for 2-3 years). LBV Ports fill the gap between Ruby and Vintage Ports, as Rubies should be drunk quite young and a great Vintage Port may need 15 to 20 years to really open up and show its splendour. This led to the creation of a Port in the 1960s which would undergo 4 to 6 years’ ageing in large vats before being bottled, resulting in a wine of a Vintage Port style with its deep colour and concentration of fruit but with a more mature character due to the extended ageing period in wood.
With its brilliant red appearance and brick red hues on the rim, the wine offers refined aromas of cherries along with a subtle perfumed floral character as well as superb finesse. Essentially the wine is elegant in style, however, the palate presents somewhat of an enigma – initially the fruit and elegance on the nose comes through on the palate, but with gentle extract. It is superbly balanced and fresh, culminating in a somewhat robust and firm finish with a tannic grip. It will be interesting to see this wine develop as it ages, undoubtedly, in a very elegant manner.