Dow's 1997
Vintage Port
A great wine with a long and distinguished life ahead of it. Enormous weight and structure with a marvellous balance.
Description
The Vintage took place in dry conditions and it was soon apparent that a great wine was being born, due to the intensely fragrant and concentrated musts and the enormous amounts of colour visible during fermentation.
Our Expert's Recommendation
"This Vintage is beginning to show some of the wonderful characteristics of bottle matured wine. It can be drunk now but will repay a few more years in your cellar."
Press Comments
Mouthfilling and round, without any sharp edges, but this wine remains extremely firm and dense, with several decades of life ahead of it. Dried fig, chocolate and black licorice flavors only hint at what lies ahead.
Blackberry and plum character. Full-bodied, velvety and balanced. Lovely, velvety tannins, sweet and long. Soft-textured yet fresh and racy. A beauty. This would be better with a little more age, but already pretty.
"Their racy style renders Dow Vintage Ports very enjoyable at a young age, yet they evolve beautifully with time. The 1997, firm in tannins, comes primarily from the Quinta do Bomfim vineyard."
“Ruby-rich colouring. Seductive and plump nose with floral notes underlining the summer fruits. A hint of smoke and coffee, then a palate that is confident, well integrated and nicely balanced. The sweetness is not overwhelming here – this is a wine with an accessible character and enough backbone to presage evolution and underwrite quality”.
“…the 1997 Dow displays a dark ruby/purple colour, attractive liquorice, chocolate, and roasted coffee aromas, medium to full body, sweet tannin, and a moderately tannic finish. This excellent vintage port should drink well between 2004-2025”.
“Good full ruby. Lightly floral aromas of blackcurrant, maple syrup, mocha, espresso and fresh herbs. Lush and medium-sweet, with very good intensity, bright acidity and a deep tight core of fruit. Subtle and juicy rather than unctuous or powerful, and impeccably balanced. Long, youthfully aggressive finish features a note of dark chocolate and sneaky persistence. This has a grip to reward 15 years of cellaring. 92(+?).”
TOP HOUSES. “The vintage, released last year, is perhaps the most jam packed with good wines, though there are only a handful of really great wines among them. Dow’s is without a doubt the best…”
“Super. I love the nose of this young Port, which shows raisin, spice and a little stemminess. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with loads of ripe tannins and a long, long finish. Really racy and exciting. Even better than when tasted from barrel.”
"Backward nose. Very complete. Full. Lovely fruit and grip. Very stylish indeed. Very long on the palate. Very Dow. Very lovely. Very fine."
“Hallmark Dow, with fresh blackcurrant scents and taut, tannin-dredged, elegantly fruited flavours of great length.”
Additional Information
For more information about Dow's, please visit
http://www.dows-port.com/
Click here to download the wine specification sheet.