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.
Winemaking >
"An unseasonably warm winter and unseasonably cool spring — both exceptionally wet — were followed by one of the hottest summers on record. At the end of August, 40% more accumulated rainfall than the 30-year average was recorded in the Douro, and these water reserves attenuated the effects of the very hot and dry summer. Some timely rain fell over two days in late August, refreshing the vines straining from the heat and putting maturations back on track. Phenolic ripeness was reached with relatively low Baumés, proving excellent for balanced, elegant wines. Two days of opportune rainfall in midSeptember were followed by dry, sunny weather for the remainder of
the vintage and the grapes were picked in very fine condition.
Charles Symington, Douro, October 2016"