Benchmark Wines by
Dow
The Winery
Dow
For over 200 years, Dow’s has been producing traditional style Port. Despite hardships such as war, disease, and economic downturn, the house continues to be associated with some of the finest vineyards in the Upper Douro Valley. It all started in 1798 when Portuguese merchant Bruno da Silva moved to London to import wine from his home country. In 1868, Bruno’s son, John, partnered with Frederick Cosens, George Acheson Warre, and, ultimately, Dow & Co., a highly regarded Port producer at the time, to become what is known today as Dow’s Vintage Port. >/p>
The house currently owns four distinct vineyards in the Upper Douro Valley that produce grapes that bring different characteristics to the Port blend. The Quinta do Bomfim is their vineyard that produces the highest quality fruit and gives the ports their backbone and structure. Although most of the winemaking process of Port is now made in a more modern fashion, a small portion uses the time-honored tradition of lagares or foot treading in shallow tanks. This can be seen as a metaphor that shows how even though Dow’s has evolved with the times; their value is in the rich history of one of the most significant port houses in the entire country.
Tasting Notes
- WS99
- Powerful, refined and luscious, with a surplus of dark plum, kirschand cassis flavors that are unctuous and long. Shows plenty of grip, presenting a long, full finish, filled with Asian spice and raspberry tart accents. Rich and chocolaty. One for the ages.
- WA96–98
- The 2011 Dow Vintage Port was made from no less than 44 separate ferments from finest fruit sourced from Quinta do Bomfim (35% of the blend), Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira (42%) and the Santinho (14%) and Cerdeira (6%) estates. Just six of the best lots were used in the final blend, which consists of 40% Touriga Franca, 36% Touriga Nacional, 10% Sousao and 14% of old vine plantings. It has a beautiful, quite extravagant bouquet with copious black and red fruit, Indian spice, and hints of menthol and orange rind that unfold wonderfully in the glass. The palate is a sumptuous affair, one that is beautifully balanced with velvety smooth, plump tannins, copious black fruit with a harmonious, white pepper-tinged finish that is a decadent delight. This is one of the finest of the declarations of 2011 Vintage Ports, a sublime expression of the vintage you would be foolish not to buy. This is Dow at its best. Range: 96-98
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