Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2020, Douro, Portugal

Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port is made from a single, very good harvest and aged in large oak vats for several years before bottling, so it is ready to enjoy without the long cellaring a Vintage Port needs. The grapes come from Dow’s own Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, the same vineyards behind its famous Vintage Ports, and are a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz, trodden in modern lagares at the quintas.

In the glass it is a deep, opaque ruby. The nose is rich and complex, with blackcurrant, blackberry and dark chocolate, lifted by Douro wildflowers, pine and a touch of eucalyptus. The palate is smooth and mouth-filling, with ripe berry and bramble fruit, peppery tannins and a fresh, mineral finish in the classic, drier Dow’s style.

Serve at around 16–18°C, in a smaller glass. It is wonderful with blue cheeses such as Stilton, with chocolate desserts and dark fruit tarts, or simply on its own after dinner. It is ready to drink now and, once opened, will keep well for a few weeks if stoppered.

Dow’s is one of the Douro’s great historic Port houses. Its modern identity was forged in 1877, when James Ramsay Dow merged his company with Silva & Cosens, creating a shipper famous for powerful, long-lived Vintage Ports. In 1912 the Symington family became partners in Dow’s, working alongside the Warre family, and they have been sole owners since 1961. Across the generations they have shaped the Dow’s style through Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, together with deep partnerships with Douro farmers. Today Dow’s remains a benchmark for structured, drier-style Port, celebrated for its Vintage releases and aged Tawnies, and Symington Family Estates was the first wine company in Portugal to become a certified B Corp.