1994 Dow's Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal

ABOUT THIS WINE

Dow’s Vintage Port 1994 is one of the landmark wines of the great 1994 Douro declaration, and it has settled into a wonderfully complex, classically “Dow’s” profile. The fruit comes primarily from two historic Symington family estates that define Dow’s style: Quinta do Bomfim in the Cima Corgo and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira in the Douro Superior—sites with different microclimates that together give both depth and lift. The blend includes classic Douro grapes—Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and old-vine field blends. Technical details from the limited 2021 re-release list 20% alcohol, total acidity 4.8 g/L (tartaric), pH 3.61, and recommend decanting a few hours before serving; chocolate desserts and blue cheeses are textbook pairings. Like all Vintage Port, it spent around 18 months in cask before being bottled unfiltered, making careful decanting essential.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Dow’s traces its roots to 1798 and has been under the Symington family’s stewardship since 1912. Over five generations they have crafted an especially refined, slightly drier house style from Bomfim and Senhora da Ribeira; the estates’ locations and exposures on schistous slopes above the Douro lend the wines their power and aromatic signature (violet, mint, dark fruits). The brand’s story—from Bruno da Silva’s London beginnings to the modern era—is closely tied to these quintas, which remain the backbone of every declared Vintage Port from Dow’s.