Glossary

Aged Tawnies (sometimes known as Old Tawnies or Tawnies With Indication of Age) are Port wines which have matured for long periods in oak casks where they have acquired their characteristic smoothness, rich mellow flavour, sublime complex aromas and attractive tawny colour. There are 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawny Ports, the number of years of ageing in wood being shown on the label. The longer an Aged Tawny remains in cask, the richer and more concentrated are its flavours.Taylor's holds one of the most extensive reserves of rare cask aged Ports and produces the full range of 10, 20, 30 and 40 Year Old Tawnies. In some markets an exclusive gift box is available containing four bottles of Taylor's Aged Tawny, one of each age. It is called Taylor's Century of Port Collection as the four ages total 100 years. Aged Tawny Ports are ready to drink when bottled.

See 'Traditional Measures'.

A Port wine ageing in cask or vat will gradually lose some of its volume to evaporation. During the first years the rate of evaporation can be as much as 2%. Both the moisture and the spirit in the wine will evaporate at more or less the same rate. The substances in the wine which do not evaporate, such as aromatic compounds, sugars and acids, will therefore tend to become more concentrated with time. A wine such as 40 Year Old Tawny Port will be concentrated almost to an essence. The part of the wine which evaporates is known as the Angel's Share as much of it literally disappears through the roof. The tiled roofs of the Port wine lodges where wine is being aged are often blackened by a sooty growth known as the Angel's Share Fungus.