Very Old Tawny
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2050
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, crème brûlée, dark chocolate tart
✨ Technical Specifications
Real Companhia Velha's Very Old Tawny represents the pinnacle of the house's blending artistry, drawing from precious, irreplaceable reserves of extremely old Ports resting in the historic cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. This rare liquid is a testament to over two and a half centuries of winemaking heritage, dating back to the company's royal founding in 1756. Over decades of slow, oxidative maturation in seasoned oak casks, the wine undergoes a magical transformation: its deep ruby hues fade into a brilliant amber-tawny with olive-green rims, while the evaporation of water concentrates the sugars, acids, and complex aromatics. The result is an incredibly intense, meditative elixir showing layers of dried figs, toasted walnuts, exotic spices, molasses, and a subtle rancio character, balanced by a vibrant, life-giving acidity that keeps the finish remarkably fresh and eternal.
🍾 About the Producer
Established on September 10, 1756, by Royal Charter of King D. José I under the auspices of the Marquis of Pombal, Real Companhia Velha stands as Portugal's oldest continuously operating wine company. Entrusted originally with demarcating and regulating the Douro Valley, the company was acquired by the Silva Reis family in 1960. Today, under President Pedro Silva Reis and celebrated head winemaker Jorge Moreira, Real Companhia Velha oversees more than 550 hectares across historic quintas such as Das Carvalhas, De Cidro, Dos Aciprestes, and Do Casal da Granja. While famous for benchmark Port, the house pioneered fine Douro still whites, capitalizing on high-elevation schist and granite plateaus with wide diurnal shifts. Estate whites—most prominently the Quinta de Cidro mono-varietals and field blends spanning Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Alvarinho, and Sémillon (Boal)—rely on precision viticulture and parcel-specific vinification. These wines demonstrate remarkable tension, vibrant natural acidity, and an authentic, mineral-driven reflection of the rugged Douro landscape.
🍇 Grapes
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão
🍷 ABV
20%