During the January following each vintage, Fonseca sets aside a reserve of very concentrated, powerful vintage quality red ports, selected primarily from the firm’s own Quinta’s and judged according to their ageing potential. These are placed in cask and cellared. Tawny ports of age are blended across several vintages to maintain quality and continuity of style, and thus show an “apparent”, or average, age on the label rather than a vintage date. As tawny ports age, they grow lighter in colour, as they throw their deposit in the cask rather than in the bottle. Moreover, Fonseca cellars its aged tawnies in the Douro rather than in Vila Nova de Gaia; the considerable difference in heat and humidity between these two areas lends Fonseca’s tawny ports of age a very distinctive “baked” richness reminiscent of butterscotch. The Port is silky smooth, with subtle oak nuances that are balanced by a fresh acidity and tannic ‘grip’ that culminate in a long, elegant finish. Ideally serve chilled, this make a fabulous accompaniment for chocolate based desserts as well as mince pies, Christmas pudding and of course, cheese!