2016 Dow's - Vintage Port

Dow's has been part of the Symington family's Port portfolio for generations, drawing its Vintage Port fruit primarily from two celebrated Douro estates, Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta Senhora da Ribeira. The house built its reputation on a distinctive, drier style that sets it apart from richer, sweeter expressions from other shippers, a character praised by critics for well over a century, including the Oxford scholar George Saintsbury, who singled out Dow's among the finest Port houses of his era. That commitment to structure and restraint over sheer sweetness remains the house's defining trait today.

The 2016 harvest followed a difficult, drought-stressed growing season that was rescued by perfectly timed late rains, transforming what looked like a modest year into an outstanding one and prompting Dow's to declare a Vintage Port for the second consecutive year, a rare occurrence. The wine is largely a blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, supplemented by a mix of other traditional Douro varieties and fruit from some very old vineyard parcels. Grapes were foot-trodden and fermented before fortification, then aged in seasoned oak for roughly two years before the wine was bottled unfiltered in 2018.

The 2016 shows deep, brooding aromas of black plum and lavender with a distinct minerality reminiscent of Douro schist, layered with violets and wild rockrose. On the palate it is full-bodied and impeccably structured, with fine, peppery tannins and fresh acidity framing flavors of green fig and bitter chocolate that carry through Dow's signature dry finish. It suits strong aged cheeses, poached pears, or can simply be savored on its own after dinner.