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 university students in Porto, while the wide-brimmed hat was a nod to the family's presence in Jerez. Today, the wines are good enough to be every bit as famous as the image of the Don. Since Sogrape bought Sandeman in 2002, the major improvements and investment that have taken place in the vineyards and the winemaking has seen the wines rise to the top of the tree in Port.

The Douro Valley's soil is made of schist, a slate-like metamorphic rock that has useful water retention properties but is poor in nutrients. This forces the vines to lay down deep roots in turn producing high quality grapes. They are grown on terraces cut into the steep hillsides of the Douro Valley. The terraces are walled with cut schist preventing erosion, otherwise torrential rains would wash loose stones down the slopes and into the river. Each terrace can hold up to three rows of vines. As field blends, each year different quantities of the same varietals will be used to recreate the profile.

The grapes are hand-picked to ensure an acidity structure which emphasises freshness, delicacy and aroma. This is crucial for creating balance in wood-aged styles. The grapes are destemmed and crushed before fermentation at controlled temperatures. With skin maceration to extract tannin, colour and flavour, in stainless steel tanks with punch downs and pumping over. The moment of fortification with neutral grape spirit is chosen by the winemaker following analysis of must densities according to the vine variety, maturation stage and required final sweetness. After the harvest, the wines remain in the Douro until the following spring, when they are taken to Vila Nova de Gaia and enter Sandeman's centuries-old lodges for ageing in small, used oak barrels. Over the years, the wines selected are carefully tasted, analysed and racked from lees. The final blend is created from a selection of wines between 35-50 years of age, to maintain consistency and character.

A wine of great complexity, it is excellent served on its own or with a coffee and a small piece of chocolate of fine cocoa. It also goes very well with nutty desserts as well as more elaborate sweets and with intense cheeses.

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021, Platinum The Wine Merchant Top 100 2021, Best Fortified Trophy Winner International Wine & Spirit Competition 2021, Gold