It all started in 1790 when the 25-year-old son of a Scottish prosperous cabinetmaker asked for a 300£ loan from his father to set up as a wine merchant in London. This ambitious young man was George Sandeman, the founder of Sandeman, who ended up establishing one of the world’s leading Port and Sherry wine businesses. From early on Sandeman specialized in these two great Iberian fortified wines and, following a usual practice in those days, began trading not from own offices but from Tom’s Coffee house, on Birchin Lane, London. Business was agreed on a ‘gentleman’s word’ and George soon gained an impeccable reputation, characteristic of The House of Sandeman to today.
Produced exclusively from selected grapes grown at the namesake property, ‘Sandeman Quinta do Seixo’ is a superb Vintage Port, produced only in years that show the highest quality and the unique terroir identity of this centuries’-old estate, in the heart of the Douro region.
Tasting Notes
Deep colour, almost opaque. Aroma of excellent complexity, with wild bush and spicy notes like curry, pepper and ginger, red berries and black fruits mixed with a light cacao touch, the result of a good maturation, along with a slightly stony finish. On the palate, it has a powerful attack, with a lively acidity, firm and well present tannins, wild bush and red berry notes, with an extremely long finish and great concentration.
VARIETIES: 35% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 25% Vinhas Velhas, 10% Sousão
WINEMAKING: Vinified at the Quinta do Seixo using selected grapes from existing plots at the Quinta. The grapes were sorted at the vineyard and on arrival at the winery. After soft-crushing and destemming, a gentle maceration took place via treading in traditional granite lagares at controlled temperatures. At the right moment, wine spirit was added to stop fermentation and "benefit" the wine;
MATURATION: After the harvest the wine remained in the Douro where it was subject to its first racking. It was transported to Vila Nova de Gaia the following spring to enter the traditional aging process in oak barrels. During this period, the wines were subject to further racking, analysis and tests to monitor their evolution. The final blend was obtained further to rigorous selection of the wines, in order to ensure the best possible quality.
STORE: Ready for immediate consumption. However, this wine will gain complexity if aged in the bottle, reaching its peak after approx. 15 years. It has a lifespan of 20-25 years and will retain the great quality of a good "cellar wine" after this time.
SERVE
If stored for a considerable period, it is natural that sediment will form in the bottle. In this case, the wine should be opened with care and decanted. It benefits from being opened some time prior to consumption. Serve at between 16ºC-18ºC.
ENJOY: The elegant and complex profile of this wine makes it the perfect accompaniment to rich chocolatey desserts, red fruit tarts and intense cheeses.