Gold Medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2024
Winery notes (2018 Vintage)
"This 2018 Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) shares the same provenance with Dow’s legendary Vintage Ports, namely the Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira vineyards, which have been owned by Dow’s since the late 19th century. Five generations of Symington family winemakers have tended these vineyards, deriving from them Dow’s distinctive wine profile, characterised by intense, structured wines with fresh black fruit flavours, peppery tannins and a hallmark drier style. The grapes from both properties were trodden in the on-site modern lagares, which equip the Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira wineries.
Bright, exuberant aromas of blackberry and blueberry are pierced by a shaft of mint which gives the wine an incredible, scintillating freshness. The substantial mouthfeel carries ample black forest fruit and fleshy, black plum flavours punctuated by peppery tannins and fine acidity, all combining to underscore the wine’s fine structure and balance. The long aftertaste suggests tobacco and tea, wrapped in Dow’s trademark dry finish."