Varietals: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Sousão .
96 Points Wine Spectator
There's a lovely, rich feel as this slowly unfurls, allowing hazelnut, walnut and Brazil nut notes to meld with date, green fig and mulled cherry fruit flavors. Flashes of singed sesame, bitter orange and argan oil provide extra nuance through the finish.
95 Points Wine Enthusiast
A superb wine, elegance and weight combined magisterially. It has all the right mature flavors, ripe fruit, intense marmalade and concentration. This is a wine with a great reputation, and the taste doesn't let that reputation down.
95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled with a bar top cork in 2014. It comes in with 125 grams per liter of residual sugar. Big, weighty and mouth filling, this is an aromatic Tawny that finishes with acidity and tension. Gripping on the finish, its flavors become more interesting as long as it sits in the glass (or on your palate). It is not, perhaps, as sunny as the Fonseca, its sibling reviewed this issue, but it is denser and more gripping. Comparing to the Taylor 30 (also reviewed), I'm not sure I liked the 40 here all that much better. The 30 is a bit fleshier while this 40 is a bit more concentrated in flavor and aromatics. Perhaps some additional age also helped this 40 combat some of the aggression on the 30. They are both pretty fine, a difference of five to Midnight and five after, rather than night and day. It is still a fine experience and my favorite of the group. Don't drink it too warm. Room temperature is mostly too warm. The sweet spot for most tends to be 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit.
92 Points Wine & Spirits
From almond croissant to sweet fresh raspberries, this is a mouthwatering and flavorful Tawny focused more on richness than complexity. It settles into salty dried-fig notes with air, ready to elevate a post-theater supper of cured meats and aged cheeses.
Winemaker Notes
This sweet wine shows fresh, rich black cherry and cassis aromas. On the palate, it has a well-knit structure, with a velvety, luscious mouthfeel and smooth tannins. Delicious as an after-dinner drink on its own, this wine also pairs well with desserts made from chocolate or berries. Made to be consumed immediately, without further aging.
