A special release – B Cellars 10 Year Tawny

Ten years in the making, we are excited to offer our first-ever “dessert wine”, a 10-year tawny. If you are not familiar with this wine, it is better known as port. However, as with “Champagne”, “Port” is a protected place name. So to be labeled as a “Port,” the grapes and the wine must come from Portugal’s Douro Valley.

Port-style dessert wine is made by adding brandy to the base wine during fermentation. This fortification stops fermentation early, preserving natural grape sugars and creating a wine that is both sweeter and higher in alcohol. While all port-style dessert wines share this foundation, their styles vary significantly based on aging and handling. The two main styles are Ruby and Tawny.

Ruby Port is aged primarily in large oak vats or stainless steel tanks to minimize oxidation and is bottled relatively soon, like most table wines. This preserves its deep ruby color and vibrant fruit character. It tends to have flavors of ripe berries, plum, and chocolate. Ruby style ports are typically bold, youthful, and fruit-forward, and many collectors prefer to age them for many years in the bottle.

Tawny Port is aged in oak barrels, which allow gradual exposure to oxygen. Over time, this aging process transforms the wine’s color from deep red to amber hues. The flavors evolve from fresh fruit to notes of toasted nuts, caramel, dried fig, baking spice, and toffee. Tawny Ports are often labeled with an average age statement such as 10, 20, 30, or 40 years, indicating the style and maturity of the wine. Tawny Ports do not tend to age in the bottle and are ready to drink on release.

2015 “10 Year Tawny”

The nose is layered and elegant, offering red cherry, dried fig, golden raisin, and toasted walnut accented by honey, butterscotch, and warm baking spices. Silky and mouth-filling on the palate, it reveals rich caramel and marmalade, intertwined with mature fruit and subtle coffee notes, all balanced by bright acidity. The finish is long and beautifully mellowed, lingering with notes of toasted nuts, honeyed fruit, and delicate oak.

ONLY 75 CASES PRODUCED