WTN: Kopke 20yo Tawny Port

It's been a long time since I last drank Port - largely because our government monopoly hasn't had any new arrivals within my budget. But now there are a few, so this winter will be a break from a long Port hiatus!

First up was a half bottle of Kopke's 20yo Tawny ( - 20% abv; 18,98€ / 0,375; 110 g/l RS; bottled 2010; label ) which was very enjoyable, but still a bit different from what I expected. However, expectations - especially after such a long break from Port - can be dangerously misleading. Before my enforced break, I used to like 20yo Tawnies best of all the varieties of Port because they had to my tastes an ideal mix of freshness and oxidation.

This wine looked dark for one aged so long in wood. But the wine did have that lovely mix of freshness and age that I so like in 20yos. It has sumptuous fruit aromas mixed with citric, cigar and oxidative ones. The surprise comes on the palate where this doesn't have the aged aspects at all as much to the fore as I remembered from previous 20yos. In fact, it seems rather like what I remember 10yos to have been: very sweet, rich, soft and round. I would really like more obvious oxidative, wood-aged sensations here.

But am I just remembering my 20yos as being different from what they really are like; or is Kopke's 20yo a little different in being more fresh and fruity than the others? Should I now start concentrating on 30yos?

Perhaps, as usual, I'm just being too picky. This was a very enjoyable Port despite being slightly unexpected.

I like the Kopke Tawnies and find them reasonably priced. However, a Port connoisseur informed me that it is not considered a top house or producer. I like Tawnies a little on the dry side (rather than sweet) and find that Cockburn usually tastes a bit drier to me than Graham or Taylor or some of the others. I have some Kopke on hand (probably the 10-year Tawny) and may open one around the New Year and report back.

Otto, your thoughts are spot on. I posted a brief note on this port about six days ago here ( I had tasted at a reps table), I was not that impressed for the same reasons as you.