There are few more atmospheric wine experiences than descending into the Sandeman cellars on the banks of the Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia. Behind the famous silhouette of the caped Don logo lies a labyrinth of granite tunnels where port has matured for generations, surrounded by bottles dating back well over a century.

The first thing you notice is the coolness. The second is the smell: oak, spirit, dried fruit and damp stone. Guides explain why the original wooden tile floors are regularly wetted. Maintaining humidity prevents the ancient corks from drying out, protecting wines that, in some cases, have been quietly ageing since before the First World War. It is a reminder that port isn't simply a drink. It's an exercise in patience.

The tasting begins unexpectedly with white port, still an underappreciated style outside Portugal despite accounting for around a tenth of production. Made from indigenous white grape varieties and often served chilled, Sandeman's version is bright and refreshing, offering citrus peel, peach and almond with a crisp finish rather than overt sweetness. At around £15 to £20 a bottle, it is perhaps the greatest surprise of the afternoon and makes a compelling aperitif, especially mixed with tonic during Porto's warm summers.

Next comes Ruby Port, the style most people recognise. Matured largely in bottle rather than wood, Ruby preserves youthful fruit, delivering flavours of blackberry, plum, black cherry and dark chocolate. Sandeman's is vibrant without becoming cloying, a wine equally at home with mature cheddar or a square of high-quality dark chocolate. Entry-level bottles begin around £15, making them an accessible introduction to port.

The transformation begins with Tawny. Years spent in oak barrels expose the wine gently to oxygen, changing both colour and character. Gone are the fresh berries, replaced by walnut, caramel, dried fig, orange peel and spice. Sandeman's 20-Year-Old Tawny is beautifully balanced, rich but never heavy, and perhaps the most complete wine in the line-up. Prices begin at around £35 for younger expressions before climbing to over £100 for older releases.

Late Bottled Vintage, or LBV, bridges the gap between everyday drinking and collector's bottles. Produced from a single vintage but spending four to six years in barrel before release, it offers much of Vintage Port's concentration without decades of waiting. Sandeman's LBV combines cassis, blackberry and liquorice with firmer tannins and remarkable depth. Retailing at roughly £25 to £35, it arguably represents the best value in the category.

Finally comes Vintage Port, the pinnacle of production. Declared only in exceptional years, it spends little time in cask before decades of bottle ageing reveal astonishing complexity. Even relatively young examples display extraordinary concentration, with black fruits, violets, spice and immense structure that promise further development over many years. Entry prices start around £80 and quickly rise into the several hundred-pound range depending on vintage, while the oldest bottles in Sandeman's collection are effectively priceless.

Walking back into Porto's sunshine, it’s clear that port should be more than a Christmas afterthought served beside Stilton once a year. A visit to Sandeman reveals something altogether different, a family of wines offering remarkable diversity, from crisp aperitifs to age-worthy masterpieces, all housed inside one of Europe's great working wine cellars. Spend an afternoon here, and you'll never look at that dusty bottle in the drinks cabinet in quite the same way again.

Our wine enthusiast Nathan lives in Leeds and runs the PR and marketing company Campfire PR.
https://campfirepr.com/