Producer >
The roots of Dow’s standing as a great Port house reach back over 200 years. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Dow’s Vintage Ports have been landmark wines in virtually every great year, consistently setting the standard amongst all Port houses. Vintage Ports such as the remarkable Dow 1896, the 1927, 1945 1955, 1963 and so on until the Dow 1994 are all legends in the history of this great wine. These Ports are still magnificent today, even when 50 or 100 years old. Few wines can claim this quality and pedigree. In 1912, Andrew Symington became a partner in Dow’s and today five members of the family own and work in the company: they personally manage all aspects of winemaking from the vineyard to the final bottling.
Viticulture >
The three months leading up to the vintage were among the hottest and driest ever
recorded in the Douro, with a succession of heatwaves, unprecedented in their scope and
duration. We had — until the end of August — 70% less rainfall than the 30-year average
and the soils were visibly parched. However, it was quite extraordinary just how well the
vines were looking with few vineyards showing signs of hydric stress - a testament to their
resilience and adaptability to harsh conditions. Once again, we broke our record for the
earliest ever starting vintage, beginning to pick from August 22nd. September brought a
considerable drop in temperatures both by day and by night, and the importance of this
cannot be overstated, easing the strain on the vines, and providing propitious conditions
for maturations to progress. It is incredible that the Douro has come through such
trying conditions, delivering wines at a level of quality that many would not have believed
possible at the start of the vintage.
Winemaking >
After de-stemming and a light crushing, the must undergoes a process of clarification.
This allows us to obtain the required features for an ideal fermenting process in
stainless steel vats, at a controlled temperature around 16 °C. During the following
ageing stage, and up until bottling, the contact of wine with oxygen is minimised, for
preserving primary aromas as much as possible.
Viosinho, Rabigato, Gouveio, Arinto.
White
12.5
Portugal
Douro Valley
12
Cork
Symington Family Estates
Yes
75cl
Vegan
Vegetarian 
Fact Sheet
