Pronounce “Cop-ka,” Kopke is the oldest Port Wine House, founded in 1638. There are two general styles of port: tawny and ruby. Ruby ports spend most of their life in the bottle and show off rich “ruby” fruits in the glass. Tawny ports, on the other hand, spend most of their life in barrels. Their flavors are more “tawny” with big notes of toffee and caramel, and roasted nuts like hazelnut and almond. While most port houses make a variety of both styles, Kopke is a specialist of the tawny style.

A blend of multiple vintages, matured for various periods of time in old oak casks, “20 Years Old” represents the average age of all the wines in the bottle. With an impressive reserve of aged tawnies in their cellar, it feels as if Kopke, though, has slipped some much older wines into this bottle. The wine drinks a level above other 20-year styles with its magnetic aromas of caramelized sugar, dried apricot, espresso bean, and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate the wine’s richness hides between the silky and soft, and the finish is more salty than sweet. Totally satisfying and jam-packed with flavor, I’d skip all the cakes and cookies and get by with a little tawny. ~Allegra A