Dow (Qt. do Bomfim)

[Henrik Lilja]

I need a full list of specific vintages' - In which years did Dow produce BOTH the normal "Dow vintage port" and the single quinta vintage port "Qt. do Bomfim"?

Had the 1980 Qt. do Bomfim some days ago - I will write a TN - it was a huge surprise!

[Derek T.]

I don't think Dow have ever produced both their classic Vintage Port and the Quinta do Bomfim in the same year.

1980 was a classic declaration and I have had Dow 1980 many times but never heard of Bomfim 1980 and it is not listed on the Symington's website. What you tasted may be a wine that was produced as a "family bottling" that was not declared or officially released. Or it may not be what it says it is on the label

Derek

[Roy Hersh]

I'd be pretty surprised by hearing about the 1980 Bomfim, but we have Dan C. (who heads up the marketing for the SFE) this week, so we can always get the official answer from him in the Guest Corner area. That said, I'd love to see a picture of the bottle if Henrik did not already dispose of it. Please put that on PORTraits if you don't mind.

Thx!

[Henrik Lilja]

Ok dudes - i'll give you a picture
That said i've managed to buy 1 bottle of the Dow qt. do Bomfim vintage port 1980 in a store in Denmark (I'll get net week - only 1 bottle left!). Further - one of my fellow port-drinking-friends has several bottles in cellar. As you may know, i'm member of the oldest danish port wine club. We have many swedish members as well. One of the swedish members - an old man - he has tasted almost anything (his private port-wine-cellar is among the finist in scandinavia)- his brain is one huge port wine database - he told me during the last tasting, that Dow also produced Qt. do Bomfim in 1977 - and he mentioned other vintages as well, when Dow produced both. I will contact him for further information.

[Andy Velebil]

Henrik,
A very good question and just the man who could answer that will be our Guest here this week, Dan Carbon. I've poised your question to him HERE I invite you to follow the thread and ask as many questions as you can of Dan while he is here.

[Roy Hersh]

If I didn't know better, I could swear there was an echo!

[Andy Velebil]

If I didn't know better, I could swear there was an echo!

Yes, this cave does have quite an echo

[Roy Hersh]

Then we must be in The Crusting Pipe.

[Andy Velebil]

Left or right side

[Roy Hersh]

You can have your choice of tunnels there. Hoping to get the Dow added there.

[Henrik Lilja]

Update - joined the anual danish port wine festival in Copenhagen yesterday - I ran into the swedish member from the port wine club and asked him about Dow and Qt. do Bomfim.
This may come as a surprise, but he told me, that the in the following years I'm about to list, Dow produced BOTH the normal vintage port AND Qt. do Bomfim single quinta vintage port:
1966, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977 and 1980.

He also told me, that he had all the bottles in his private cellar, and that he would send me a digi-foto. When recieved, I will upload at this forum.

[Andy Velebil]

Cool, I am very interested in seeing the pictures

[Henrik Lilja]

I've just recieved an email from my swedish friend. He has tasted quite a few vintages of the Bomfim - here is the list: 1996, 1995, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1984, 1980, 1977, 1975, 1972, 1970, 1966.

He only sent me digifotos of the 1966, 1970, 1975 and 1980 Qt. do Bomfim vintage port. But it proves that I told the truth, and that Dow did make both classic and Qt. do Bomfim in several vintages.

I've uploaded the 4 pictures under "Portraits".

[Glenn E.]

Based on the pictures, I'm going to guess that the Danish Importer that Dan Carbon refers to in this thread is Frederiksberg Vinimport.

Sounds like some wonderful and rare Ports, Henrik!

[Henrik Lilja]

Based on the pictures, I'm going to guess that the Danish Importer that Dan Carbon refers to in this thread is Frederiksberg Vinimport.

Sounds like some wonderful and rare Ports, Henrik!

__________

"The answer to Henrik’s question is very straight forward, right - we do not bottle the quinta wine in a declared year, so there are no years with both. Logically, that makes sense, but this is the Port trade and there are always exceptions, and this is one.

The Symingtons had a long-standing relationship their Danish importer, one dating back to Maurice Symington and passing on to James Symington, Rupert’s father. In a handful of years, they were given a very small allocation of the quinta wine, normally reserved for family only and not made in every year.

There are not heaps of records to be found, but it appears that this happened during a 10 or so year stretch starting in the late 60’s. It is more difficult than you might expect to determine exactly which years but as soon as I have that info I will post it here. This was a very special arrangement, and one that has long since stopped. It does, however, represent another of the many intriguing aspects of the world of Port."
DAN CARBON
___________

The danish importer is "Frederiksberg Vinimport" - check out the labels from the bottle-pictures I uploaded at portraits.
Had I just known that these bottles were this rare, I would have purchased more earlier. The last five years it has been possible to buy some bottles at the danish market - but now it is impossible. Yesterday I bought the last bottle Bomfim 1980 from Frederiksberg Vinimport! I've seen some bottles at danish wine auctions - but not for some time now - unfortunately

I will write a TN (Bomfim 1980) in some days. I will ask my swedish friend for TNs of some of the other Bomfim vintages.

[JPP]

[Add on to Henrik and our Swedish friends in the Danish Portwineclub - I can add that I have both the 1980 and 1977 in my cellar and especially the 1980 has been marvellous – unfortunately great bottles have the tendency to disappear.
Some years back we actually did have a 1977 vintage tasting with both the Dow 1977 and the Dow Q .do Bomfim 1977 - I can't find my tasting notes right now (as I'm expatriated to South Korea - where I do miss port a lot) but as I remember it the Bomfim did have some more flesh but was not as dry as the "original" Dow which I recall as a little surprise - at that tasting I preferred the Original Dow 1977. Have also tasted the Dow 1980 up against the Bomfim 1980 and here the Bomfim is a winner............Port is wonderful and keeps surprising you.
Henrik I'm sure that our Swedish friends would have top tuned tasting notes that can be shared.

Another Port lover from Denmark
JP
quote="Henrik Lilja"]

Based on the pictures, I'm going to guess that the Danish Importer that Dan Carbon refers to in this thread is Frederiksberg Vinimport.

Sounds like some wonderful and rare Ports, Henrik!

__________

"The answer to Henrik’s question is very straight forward, right - we do not bottle the quinta wine in a declared year, so there are no years with both. Logically, that makes sense, but this is the Port trade and there are always exceptions, and this is one.

The Symingtons had a long-standing relationship their Danish importer, one dating back to Maurice Symington and passing on to James Symington, Rupert’s father. In a handful of years, they were given a very small allocation of the quinta wine, normally reserved for family only and not made in every year.

There are not heaps of records to be found, but it appears that this happened during a 10 or so year stretch starting in the late 60’s. It is more difficult than you might expect to determine exactly which years but as soon as I have that info I will post it here. This was a very special arrangement, and one that has long since stopped. It does, however, represent another of the many intriguing aspects of the world of Port."
DAN CARBON
___________

The danish importer is "Frederiksberg Vinimport" - check out the labels from the bottle-pictures I uploaded at portraits.
Had I just known that these bottles were this rare, I would have purchased more earlier. The last five years it has been possible to buy some bottles at the danish market - but now it is impossible. Yesterday I bought the last bottle Bomfim 1980 from Frederiksberg Vinimport! I've seen some bottles at danish wine auctions - but not for some time now - unfortunately

I will write a TN (Bomfim 1980) in some days. I will ask my swedish friend for TNs of some of the other Bomfim vintages.[/quote]

[Roy Hersh]

Thanks JPP, I just sent you an email.

First of all ... to and we're glad to have you here with us as there are lots from Scandinavia who visit here and actually about 100 who receive the newsletter from that part of Europe.

We look forward to hearing more about the great Bomfim Vintage Ports from "declared years" of Dow. This was news to me and now you and Henrik have piqued our interest and we await the tasting notes. Stick around, I think you will really enjoy yourself!

Roy

[Henrik Lilja]

TN = http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopfo ... =12&t=8481