After the harvest, the wines remain in the Douro until the following Spring, when they are taken to V.N.Gaia and enter Sandeman ́s centuries-old lodges for ageing in oak wood casks, as required by Porto Wine traditional ageing system. Throughout the years the wines are carefully tasted and analysed by the oenology team who also makes all necessary corrections and prepares the final blend so as to keep Sandeman Porto Ruby ́s style and character. The wines selected are usually between 2 and 5 years of age, which makes it possible to obtain a fresh and young wine with an average age of 3 years. The final blend is filtered and cold-stabilised prior to bottling.