Founded in 1942 by Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, Sogrape is a family-owned wine company with a strong international presence and unique diversity around the world. Moved by the purpose of bringing Friendship and Happiness to everyone it touches through its wonderful wines, Sogrape’s top-quality wines showcase the beauty of viniculture in all its glory.
For Sogrape, each bottle of wine produced symbolises a new story, a new way of expression, and an invitation to explore nature and its aromas. This extends not only to its viticultural efforts in its native Portugal, but also beyond its borders in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and Spain.
Within each origin, Sogrape seeks to introduce and convey the culture of wine and the bond with history and the natural world. By respecting the terroir and prioritising authenticity, Sogrape shows great care and skill in preserving and presenting the best that each of the different winemaking regions holds.
In line with this, Sogrape honours the history of grape growing excellence and wine production expertise at its Quinta do Seixo property in Cima Corgo with Sandeman Veil, the newest product from the estate’s Sandeman collection.
Celebrating Sandeman’s 230 years of history and the 90 years of its iconic symbol – The Don, Veil is a rare, complex, and elegant wine that illustrates the brand’s exceptional expertise and superior quality of its Aged Tawnies.
Inspired by his predecessors, who have passed down the importance and rigour of ageing quality wines since the mid-19th century, Sandeman’s head winemaker Luís Sottomayor embarked on a meticulous undertaking to create this Very Old Tawny Port.
“In our search for the ideal blend for Sandeman Veil, our team had an enormous privilege of tasting many wines with great quality and age. The wines that made up the final blend were chosen for their particular characteristics – sweetness, acidity, and aromas – that are distinct but also balanced,” says Sottomayor.
George Sandeman, 7th generation of the founding family, adds, “Veil is a sublime example of a legacy built over many years. It is a tribute to the work of our previous winemakers and blenders to achieve a unique combination of old tawnies with distinct but complementary personalities.”
A captivating, bright wine with a golden Tawny hue and greenish undertones, the Sandeman Veil first excites the nose with an intense and very intricate aroma. Notes of wax, candles, iodine and spices, such as curry, pepper, ginger, nutmeg and saffron, stand front and centre. Softer notes of resin, cedar, tobacco, undergrowth and truffle linger with an ever-so-slightly mentholated touch. The wine is extraordinarily rich and complex on the palate, encompassing notes of wax and strong spices. All in all, the Sandeman Veil exudes an excellent balance of sweetness and acidity with an exceptionally long and remarkable finish.
A product this special deserves to be housed in a vessel crafted as carefully as the wine itself. Sandeman worked with Vista Alegre, a world-renowned Portuguese crystal and porcelain crafting company, to develop the delicate bottle and capsule. The bottle silhouette pays homage to The Don, Sandeman’s iconic symbol, evoking the enigmatic and romantic nature of this mysterious character. Summoning a sense of curiosity, the bottle is enclosed in a rosewood case that slowly “unveils” the legacy that is housed inside.
As a truly exclusive product, only 700 bottles of the Sandeman Veil have been produced for distribution globally. Available at fine wine and spirits retailers in the United States starting fall 2021, the Sandeman Veil is priced at $3,750 per bottle.
To find out more about Sandeman Veil, visit their website and Instagram page.