Dow's Port
The story of Dow’s began in 1798 with Bruno da Silva, a Portuguese merchant from Porto city, being the first and only Port company to transport cargo of casks of fine Ports from Porto city to Bristol and to London.
The Port shipping business continued under Silva’s family and partnerships. In 1877, Silva & Cosens merged with another leading Port company ‘Dow & Co’ of James Ramsay Dow, adopting DOW’S as the brand name.
Today, Dow’s is owned and managed by the fourth generation of the Symington family.
Dow’s owns four mountainous vineyards, which are located in different parts of the best wine-growing areas of the Douro region: Quinta do Bomfim, Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, Quinta da Cerdeira, and Quinta do Santinho.
Vintage Ports
Vintage Port represents the very best produce of a single outstanding year. It remains in the vat for only about two years and then ages in bottle. Vintage Ports will continue to age and improve in bottle for decades.
Vintage Port 2017
Country: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Raw material: Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional
Alcohol: 20%
Dow’s Vintage Ports are drawn from the finest vineyards of Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta de Senhora da Ribeira. Each property contributes to the Dow’s unique and distinctive style, resulting in the powerful structure and aging potential.
These wines are aged in seasoned oak casks for about 18 months and are bottled without any filtration or fining whatsoever.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Purple black
Aroma: Deep and powerful with strong overtones of violets, fine cinnamon and rose-tea
Taste: Complex, full-bodied, abundant fruit flavours with hints of ripe blackberries and very fine peppery tannins
Variants: *
Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port
Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port
* Bottled Aged Port – are capable of maturing in bottle.
** Wood-Aged Port – are those which age entirely in cask or vat and are ready to drink when they are bottled.
Full-Bodied & Fruity Ports
Full-bodied and fruity Ports are aged for a relatively short time, between two to three years, in large oak vats. General higher quality wines are aged for slightly longer between four and six years.
Fine Ruby
Country: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Raw materia: Touriga Nacional
Alcohol: 19%
Dow’s Fine Ruby is made of 100% Touriga Nacional grapes from Douro Valley.
Fine Ruby is aged in seasoned oak casks at the cellar for an average of three years before bottled.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Ruby
Aroma: Large bouquet of ripe red fruits
Taste: Exuberant youthful fruit flavours, and hints of cherry notes
Variants: **
Nirvana Reserve
Late Bottled Vintage
* Bottled Aged Port – are capable of maturing in bottle.
** Wood Aged Port – are those which age entirely in cask or vat and are ready to drink when they are bottled.
Rich & Mellow Ports
Rich and mellow tawny Ports are aged for longer periods in small oak casks. The relatively small volume of wine compared to the surface area of the vessel increases the contact with the wood.
Fine Tawny
Country: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Raw material: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz
Alcohol: 19%
Dow’s Fine Tawny is a three-year-old blend aged in small oak casks at the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, producing a smoother and lighter style of wine.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Tawny
Aroma: Fresh fruits
Taste: Subtle fruits with delicious velvety nutty flavours
Variants: **
Colheita Port
10 Years Old Tawny Port
20 Years Old Tawny Port
30 Years Old Tawny Port
40 Years Old Tawny Port
* Bottled Aged Port – are capable of maturing in bottle.
** Wood Aged Port – are those which age entirely in cask or vat and are ready to drink when they are bottled.
White Ports
White Ports are made from traditional white grapes from Douro region and are usually aged for two or three years in large oak vats.
Fine White
Country: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Raw material: Touriga Nacional, and Touriga Franca
Alcohol: 19%
Dow’s Fine White is produced from traditional white grape varieties from the Douro Valley at the winery Quinta do Sol.
Dow’s Fine White is 100% fermented off the skins and using temperature control so that fermentation takes place between 18-22ºc.
Aged for an average of three years before bottled, is ready to drink without further aging required.
Dow’s Fine White Port ages entirely in cask or vat and is ready to drink when they are bottled.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden
Aroma: Rich and refreshing bouquet
Taste: Wooden, freshness and fruit character, well-balanced
