96pts Wine Enthusiast

This wine confirms Sandeman's reputation for aged tawnies. Intensely perfumed and hugely concentrated, it is a wine for contemplation and sipping. Almonds, walnuts, dried fruit and aged honey flavors all come together in this astonishing Port. Ready to drink, it is totally memorable.

95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The NV 40 Years Old Tawny Porto is a typical Douro blend bottled in August 2022 with a Vinolok stopper and 123 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is composed of juice ranging from 30 to 55 years in age to achieve an average age of 40 years. Comparing 30s and 40s is always interesting. Some argue that there is not enough difference, others that the 40s are better and more complex, while still others say the 30s are actually better because they are fresher and livelier. There is, oddly enough, a little of all of those stereotypes in this report's 30 vs 40 comparison. This 40 is more mature, a bit more complex and a little more concentrated. If you didn't have them side by side, however, you might have more trouble noticing, as they are both lively and reasonably fresh for their ages. The 30 is even livelier and more elegant, while this 40 Year is a bit sterner. If the 30 is a bit more understated, it is sometimes lovelier for that, but I'd take this 40 for the extra power, complexity and concentration. The worm in the apple, though, is the price. With the price nearly doubling to get to this 40 Year, the 30 Year would be the easy choice between the two, as it's comparable in quality and a far better value.