Dows Quinta Do Bomfim Single Quinta Vintage Port

Description

Dows Quinta Do Bomfim Single Quinta Vintage Port is made in exactly the same way as Dow’s Vintage Port but in a year that is not declared as a vintage. However, even in a slightly lesser vintage most Port Houses can make a very good wine from their top property.

Dow’s Quinta Do Bomfim is possibly Dow’s finest vineyard, acquired and planted by the firm in 1980, is situated in perhaps the most favourable location in the Upper Douro. The whole Quinta Do Bomfim vineyard is “A-rated”, the highest quality grading conferred by the region’s wine regulatory body. The vineyards are now almost entirely planted in varietal batches, meaning each variety may be picked and subsequently vinified separately, thus allowing for each grape’s maximum potential to be achieved. The principal grape varieties planted are: Touriga Franca (30%); Touriga Nacional (20%); Tinta Barroca (13%); Tinta Roriz (13%) and old mixed vines (12%), whilst other grape varieties account for the remaining 12%. Two-thirds of the vineyard is now over 20 years old, whilst one third is between 30 to 40 years old.

When young, Bomfim wines are purple-black, austere, complex and intensely concentrated; they are characterised by very fine peppery tannins. Over the centuries, the winemakers at Bomfim have evolved a style that suits this particular vineyard; fermentations are a little longer, resulting in a drier Port Wine that has become the hallmark of Dows. The grapes are normally extremely ripe at the time of picking, a direct result of the low-lying position of the main vineyard. Spice and pepper balance the black chocolate flavours and these are very evident in all Bomfim Ports. Abundant fruit flavours with hints of maple, raisins and ripe blackberries give elegance and poise to this wine. The very high percentage of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional planted on the estate result in the powerful aromas of mint and violets on the finest Ports from Bomfim.

Read how to decant Port.