Van Zellers & Co 40 Years Old Tawny Port 1 x 0.75L 1 Bottle Port Wine WINEMAKERS: Cristiano van Zeller & Joana Pinhão. AWARDS/RECOMMENDATIONS 95 Points, Robert Parker 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast 93 Points, Wine & Spirits 93 Points, Wine Spectator 18.5 Points, Vinho Grandes Escolhas 17 Points, Vinum Magazine WINE VARIETIES: A blend of more than 30 different traditional Douro red grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the rio Torto and the Pinhão valleys. VINIFICATION Grapes are crushed by foot, before and during the whole fermentation. When the must is ready for the addition of the grape brandy, the fortification is made in one single moment, adding all the brandy to the must and skins in the lagar. Then some more treading ensures good homogenization of the whole wine and that the fermentation is stopped. The blend of must and brandy stays in the lagar for one to two more days, with very slight treading twice a day (10 minutes each time). It is then racked to the storage vat together with all the press wine (we use traditional basket presses). The wines age in very ancient (more than 100 years old) wood Port casks. Over 40 Years Very Old Tawny Porto is a blend of old Portos with an average age of over 40 years, aged in very old wooden casks. Van Zellers & Co. Over 40 Years Very Old Tawny Port is bottled on demand, making it possible for all to enjoy this beautiful Porto over many years, sharing with us their natural evolution throughout time. TASTING NOTES Powerful fragrance, delicate fruit and raisins, toasted toffee and chocolate, touch of spice, rich, intense, voluptuous. SERVING Serve slightly chilled. It does not benefit from a prolonged aging in the bottle, although this does no harm in itself. Keep the bottle in a vertical position, away from light and heat. Does not require decanting. VAN ZELLERS & CO HISTORY Van Zellers & Co established the first wine trade sea routes between Portugal and the Baltic states, which were part of the Russian Empire at the time, in the 18th Century. In 1811, Van Zellers & Co is considered one of the most prominent Port Wine merchants, exporting yearly over 1000 pipes. The van Zellers remain in the Port Wine business through other companies: Quinta de Roriz and Quinta do Noval. It is at Quinta do Noval that the new generations explore innovative methods in the vineyard and in different styles of Port. These include ungrafted vines, which gave way to the creation to one of the most famous wines in the world: 1931 Noval Nacional Vintage Port; the birth of aged Tawnies (10, 20, 30 and over 40 years old) and Late Bottled Vintage Ports. Through Luis Vasconcellos Porto (Cristiano van Zeller’s great-grandfather), acquires Van Zellers & Co. Cristiano Van Zeller revives Van Zellers & Co making it an independent company in 1989 - he is the 14th generation of the family in the business. Van Zellers & Co remains in the hands of Cristiano’s cousin, after the sale of Quinta do Noval to Axa Milesime. Since 1993, Cristiano has dedicated his life’s work to the production and communication of the Douro’s capacity of producing DOC Douro wines alongside Ports. He was an active player during the early years, bringing to the world’s market the news wines of two Douro estates: Quinta do Crasto and Quinta do Vallado. In 1996, Cristiano and Joana create the brand Quinta Vale D. Maria, after acquiring the estate from Joana’s family. Soon it became one of the leading quality wines in the Douro and Portugal. PLEASE NOTE: This is a recurring auction. The seal number(s) you see on the photos might differ from the one(s) on your bottle(s).