1983 Dow's, Vintage Port

Dow's consistently pursues a drier, more structured expression of Vintage Port, leveraging their profound understanding of the Douro's diverse terroir. This is chiefly achieved through fruit sourced from the schist-rich, south-facing slopes of Quinta do Bomfim in the Cima Corgo and the low-yielding old vines of Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira in the warmer Douro Superior. The 1983 growing season presented an unusually cool summer, offset by a hot September that extended the ripening cycle, leading to a late harvest under ideal conditions. This vintage profile fostered wines with a robust structural framework, marked by firm, concentrated tannins and excellent acid retention, ensuring significant depth and age-worthiness. Dow's traditional vinification, including foot treading in lagares, further shaped this architecture, yielding a Vintage Port that matures into an integrated and precise reflection of the vintage's inherent power.