2011 Dow Vintage Port

[David Spriggs]

Totally Opaque. A black hole. Wow! What a nose! Really impressive. It keeps drawing me back in. Lavender, blackberry, beef - it's truly amazing. The palate is.... off the hook. Massive, yet balanced. Full bodied. Really coats the entire palate. Wonderful citrus aspect in the finish. There is real intensity here from start to finish. Is this the best Dow ever? It's certainly possible. The overall impression is truly amazing. There are some serious tannins in the finish - and even though they are substantial, they are very fine, and in balance. I suspect that this Port will close up soon enough and for an extended period of time. So if you'd like to experience it, I would urge you to try it soon. This is one of my favorite VPs of the 2011 vintage. It is certainly on the same level as Taylor and Fonseca. A monumental Vintage Port! 97+ points.

[Roy Hersh]

Yes, my favorite from the Symingtons in 2011.

Back-to-back HR's hit by Dow in 2007 and 2011 too.

[David Spriggs]

Agreed! A home run in both years. I am finishing the last of the bottle tonight. It's been open for a week and it really hasn't changed much. It's a beast!

By the way, I heard that this Dow was not made using autovinification, but was made in lagares. Do you know if that's true? My understanding was that all Dow's were made using autovinification since 1963.

[Roy Hersh]

David,

As you heard on this year's PHTour, the production now takes place not only at Bomfim anymore, but also up at Quinta do Sol. Yes, autovinification of Dow's is a thing of the past from what I understand.