For The Love Of Port

We've sampled several producers as theme for our VTs but we've never made one for Dow's. So there ya go!

I like the theme and will have to consider which Dow to open. Any suggestions of a vintage you'd like to see a TN on from the past 45 years?

Roy Hersh wrote:I like the theme and will have to consider which Dow to open. Any suggestions of a vintage you'd like to see a TN on from the past 45 years?

Not sure if this is an option, but I would be very interested in your impression of the 1982 Dow's Colheita.

-- Gary

I'll join you. I Just have to find out what to open/what to buy.

Tasted yesterday was Dow's 1985 Vintage. Served by the glass it has been decanted for 24h at the restaurant. Surprisingly fresh on the notes, notes of field berries, flowers, candied figs. The palated was smooth, tannins fully integrated, good concentration of flavours, very similar to the nose with some cinamon building on the lingering finish. 18/20 Solid mature VP!

I've been really suprised in the last year, the burning Warre's, Smith Woodhouse and Dow's that I've always had weak experience in the last 8 years are finally starting to show beautiful balance and maturity when I tasted them this year.

I might be tempted to start buying some 85 finally.

With the lack of interest of the past VT, we'll take a pause for the hot summer days/vacation and try to start it again this next fall.

I seem to have failed with this month's VT. I don't even have anything from Dow's that I'd want to open this weekend - they're not my most stocked producer. What few bottles that I have are all already earmarked for various (sometimes vague) purposes.

I'll join back in next month!

1996 Dow Vintage Port here

I picked up a bottle of 2007 Vale do Bomfim red wine made by Dow. Quite dark in the glass, almost black, with a lighter rim. Smells like Tempranillo, peppery and dark, maybe earthy or smoky, fruit in the background. On the palate, it's a bit too...something...too bitter maybe? First sips were nice, but subsequent ones not as good. However, I suspect the dinner I paired with it, pasta with collard-green pesto, may have been the culprit there (Maybe the bitter-against-bitter scenario wasn't a good idea, but I didn't think of that beforehand). Subsequent glasses were enjoyable, and I enjoyed it even after more than a week in the fridge.

All in all, I liked this wine, and it encourages me to want to try more Portuguese wines.

Melanie R. wrote:Smells like Tempranillo, peppery and dark, maybe earthy or smoky, fruit in the background. ...

Tempranillo, a.k.a. Tinta Roriz, is one of the top five grapes used in Port production, and I suspect there is some of it in/at Bomfim. I've only had the Vale do Bomfim once or twice, but enjoyed it quite a bit.

Yes--Tempranillo is my favorite red wine, and when I found out that the grape is also used in Port, I thought "Well, no wonder I like it". Must be something in that grape that agrees with me.