Dow's 1896 Vintage Port

[Paul Symington]

I was intrigued to read Roy’s tasting note on the Dow’s 1896. This wine has a particular relevance to my family as my great-grandparents Andrew and Beatrice Symington sent a case of this exact same Port to their son, my grandfather Maurice, who was serving with the British Army in France in 1916 during the First World War. Maurice had been born in Oporto in 1895, so he celebrated his 21st birthday in the trenches with this great Port. We have his letters that he wrote to his parents in Oporto throughout his time in the war in France and he makes particular reference to the Dow 1896 (the wine then being only 20 years old), saying that his Colonel had commented ‘those young officers do themselves very well’.
There is an additional point of historic interest in that Sir Winston Churchill, who had been forced to resign from the British Government in 1915 after the Dardanelles disaster, enjoyed drinking Port with Maurice Symington. They shared a mess dug-out for a while in 1916. Unlike most politicians, who return home to write their memoirs after such a political setback, Churchill, typically, insisted on joining the fight in France. He was posted to command the 6th battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers which was part of the Scottish Division, in which my grandfather was serving as a young 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery. Years later, in the mid 1920’s, my grandfather was over in London to visit wine merchants to sell his latest Port, and as he was walking down the Cromwell Road near Harrods, he bumped into Sir Winston Churchill on the pavement, Churchill took one look at Maurice and raised his famous walking stick and said ‘Port!’.
We have just 3 bottles left of the Dow’s 1896 Vintage Port here in our cellars. I have tasted it on three occasions in my life and would agree with you that it is one of the greatest Ports ever made. I trust that you will understand this wine’s particular importance to my family and I think that Maurice Symington would have been pleased with Roy's 100 points.

[Ronald Wortel]

That is a wonderful story Paul, thanks so much for sharing.

How wonderful it would be to ever taste a port of such magnitude and age...

Cheers,
Ronald

[Eric Menchen]

What Ronald said +1. It even made me look up the 1986 Dow on wine-searcher. Yeah, I won't be buying that bottle any time soon, but I wish I could.

[Derek T.]

Maurice had been born in Oporto in 1895, so he celebrated his 21st birthday in the trenches with this great Port.

Paul, as you know we have had some very unusual port tastings amongst this community in recent years, but drinking Dow 1896 at a 21st Birthday party in a trench during the Great War is a hard act to follow!

What a great story. Thanks for sharing it here.

Derek

[David Spriggs]

Paul,
What a great story! I love your family stories and your respect for their history. I hope to see you again this Fall during the harvest tour and hopefully hear some more!
-Dave-

[Andy Velebil]

Maurice had been born in Oporto in 1895, so he celebrated his 21st birthday in the trenches with this great Port.

Paul, as you know we have had some very unusual port tastings amongst this community in recent years, but drinking Dow 1896 at a 21st Birthday party in a trench during the Great War is a hard act to follow!

What a great story. Thanks for sharing it here.

Derek

+1

[SEAN C.]

Very interesting story Paul, thanks for telling us!
I had to open this particular bottle to "one up" a 1963 Quinta Do Noval Nacional that Roy had brought to my house. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I had high hopes that it would live up to its reputation. I think it exceeded it, the 1896 Dow was clearly a 100 point Port.
It was as youthful as a near perfect bottle of 1935 Taylor that I had opened recently and younger tasting than a 1948 Fonseca I had last night! For a 115 year old bottle it was simply amazing. If I could drink one Port for the rest of my life the 1896 Dow would be it.

[Roy Hersh]

Don't know how I missed this thread?

Thanks to Paul for this historical view into this particular Vintage Port. An amazing experience, thanks to Sean. Tasting notes on this and other well-aged bottles we opened that weekend are in the current newsletter.

I'll never forget this bottle. Outstanding in every way!