Sandeman Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port 2020
Deep ruby in colour, this wine boasts intense and complex aromas of ripe and juicy blackberries, black cherries, strawberries and plums, married with spicy notes and subtle hints of balsamic. On the palate, firm but ripe tannins and a lively acidity carry the concentrated flavours onto a complex and lingering finish.
The grapes that make up the LBV blend are sourced from prime sites in the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro including Quinta do Seixo and Quinta do Vau. The soil in the Douro Valley is schist - a slate-like metamorphic rock, that fractures vertically, allowing the vine roots to dig deep to access water and nutrients to sustain them through the hot Douro summers. The vines are planted on terraces supported by dry stone walls on the steep hillsides sloping down to the Douro river. Given the steep gradients and the inaccessibility for machinery, vineyard operations and harvesting are carried out by hand.
Upon arrival at the Quinta do Seixo winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place in granite lagares with vigorous treading to extract the ideal levels of colour, flavour and tannin from the grape skins. The ferment was closely monitored to determine the ideal moment to halt the fermentation by fortifying with grape spirit, leaving some of the grapes’ natural sugars. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring following the harvest when they were transported downstream to the historic Sandeman cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for ageing in oak casks for around four years. The wines were regularly tasted and analysed during this time and the final blend was assembled from a selection of the best casks. The LBV is bottled unfiltered, in order to preserve its great intensity of flavour.
| RRP | £25.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcoholic strength | 20% |
| Awards | Silver, IWSC, 2025 |
| Country | Portugal |
| Region | Douro |
| Grapes | Touriga Franca 42%, Touriga Nacional 37%, Tinta Roriz 16% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 104 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
| Winemaker | Luís Sottomayor |
There are few more iconic images in the world of wine than the ‘Don’, the logo created for the Sandeman family in 1928 by George Massiot Brown. The cape was modelled on the attire worn by students at the University of Porto, while the sombrero was a nod to the family’s presence in Jerez.
Bought by the Guedes family in 2002, today Sandeman Ports are every bit as famous as the image of the Don. In the last two decades, significant investments have been made in both the vineyards and winery, ensuring Sandeman’s reputation as one of the world’s leading Port houses. The fact that their winemaker, Luís Sottomayor, was crowned Fortified Winemaker of the Year at the 2022 International Wine Challenge is a testament to this.
The state-of-the-art Sandeman winery, built in 2007, is at the beautiful Quinta do Seixo, situated on the south bank of the Douro, just downstream from Pinhão. The winery is perched on top of a hill, surrounded by vast terraces of vines, some of which are over 100 years old. Quinta do Seixo comprises 108 hectares, 71 of which are planted under vine. Many plots here boast the highest ‘A’ classification under the ‘Cadastro’ (or ‘vineyard register’) system, which ranks the quality of Douro vineyards based on 12 parameters, including locality, elevations, yield, soil type, grape variety, and vine training, age and density.
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