Yalumba 50 Year Tawny Port (half-bottle)
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This tawny represents the very finest and oldest ever released from our reserved stocks of showcase wines. Our best tawnies have always been retained for exhibiting in Australian National Wine Shows, regularly being awarded medals and trophies. For the first time, a very small parcel is being released to reflect Yalumbas heritage and commitment to preserving the history of this era.
The core of this wine possibly originates from the 30s, being made from varieties such as Shiraz, Grenache, Dolcetto, Mourvédre and Muscadelle, then fortified with fine pot-still brandy produced in Yalumbas very own still. The wines have been matured in various old oak casks ranging from quarter casks to puncheons. During this time, evaporation between 2-4% each year has resulted in a rich and concentrated wine, with around 85% of the original wine evaporating, coined the "angels share". Over the years, it has been regularly reblended with Amontillados to counteract the concentration of sugars and maintain the characteristic drying finish of this classic tawny style. This has resulted in a current average age of over 50 years.
Deep golden tawny with pronounced green edges indicating exceptional wood age.
Burnt caramel and spices with lifted etheral aromas contribute to the pungent rancio character developed from many years of maturation in small wood. Intense rancio complexity from immense concentration of flavour imparting a firm, tangy richness to the middle. The aftertaste lingers incessantly with a complexity of honey, toffee and caramel flavours.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium brown colored with a slightly green rim, the NV Museum Reserve 50 years Old Tawny Port presents a fragrant earthy character on the nose with notes of earth, old barn planks and underbrush over roasted brazil nuts, praline, treacle, baklava, and cassia. Not overly sweet and with very crisp acid it has lots of complex layers, finishing long and nutty. Love it. It’s designed to drink now.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The oldest of Yalumba's three mature Tawnies is a thing of history and beauty, with a portion of the blend from the 1940s, and fortified with brandy from Yalumba's house still. This is warm brown and green-rimmed in hue, like a favorite leather armchair, and the depth of aroma and flavor is remarkable. Chocolate, walnut, molasses and a whisper of dried fruit billow out of the glass. The alcohol and the sweetness are prominent, but those rich, complex aromas morph into flavor, flowing through to a long finish. Concentrated but still vibrant, this is drinking perfectly now and should be one of those gems you open on a very special occasion.
-
Wine Spectator
Intriguing, with thick and creamy toffee and butterscotch notes that start out rich and viscous. A bolt of alcohol midpalate and peaty, Scotch-like roasted barley details keep this from becoming too sweet. Saline, cigar box, espresso, orange zest and toasted cumin accents show on the finish. Begs for another sip. Drink now through 2040.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Australians have a rich history with its fortified wines, and Yalumba has one of the most known producers in this category. The Yalumba 50 Year Tawny Port is magnificent. TASTING NOTES: This wine is complex, old, aged, and delightfully long. Pair its nutty, caramelized aromas and flavors with a dense, dark chocolate dessert or a long conversation with a pal. (Tasted: September 24, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Established in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s most historic family-owned wine company showcasing the best of the Barossa and South Australian wine regions. Fiercely independent and extremely progressive through the generational ownership by the Hill-Smith family, their longevity and success are a result of patience, collaboration, and forward-thinking. Yalumba is a leader in the industry with the foresight to embrace the natural terroir to craft wines with individual character and a sense of purpose, as well as a spirit to reinvest in the land upon which it operates. Yalumba is committed to sharing stories of provenance gathered over 175 years of history of family winemaking.
Arguably the single most famous wine region in Australia, the Barossa includes both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, making it one of the only areas in Australia to have neighboring warm and cool climate growing conditions. Yalumba is privileged to have access to some of the oldest vineyards in the world in Barossa Valley, including 1889 bush vine Grenache and 1908 Shiraz. They are committed to growing premium quality fruit reflecting distinctive varietal characters of the region.
Yalumba also operates the Southern Hemisphere's only fully operational Cooperage, crafting bespoke oak barrels that elevate the wines aged within them. While the beginnings of the Yalumba Cooperage remain a mystery lost in time, coopering has been a proud tradition at the winery for more than a century. Their coopers have been performing and perfecting their craft since around 1890. In the Nursery, Yalumba is a global leader in wine innovation, growing, evaluating, and supplying quality grape vines to the Australian wine industry. Yalumba has developed strong relationships with leading grapevine programs from around the world and have exclusive access to certain new varietals in Australia. This gives the Yalumba viticulturists and winemakers the unique opportunity to evaluate and develop new or emerging varieties before they are sold.
Yalumba continually strives to reduce their impact on the environment, stay involved in the community, and make great wine with minimal intervention in the vineyard and in the winery. They are committed to sustainable practices, with the belief that the healthier and more biodiverse the vineyards are, the better the wines will be. Yalumba has been developing its own sustainable viticulture program since the mid-1990s, promoting the economic production of quality grapes. For every acre of vineyard Yalumba own, they have at least one acre of native vegetation. All Yalumba wines are crafted with wild yeast, are 100% vegan, and are made with the least intervention possible but with as much knowledge, confidence, and expertise as possible.