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Dow Vintage Port .375(2003)
- Winery:
- Dow's
- Varietal:
- Region:
- Portugal
- Type:
- Dessert/Fortified
- Color:
- Red
- Guide to Dow's
- Guide to Portugal's wines
Related Groups
Tasting Notes
Dark and intensely purple right up to the
rim. On the nose, a restrained and subtle
aroma of rockrose and gum-cistus. On the
mouth the Dow’s 2003 has powerful and
rich tannins with immense ripe fruit
flavours. There are layers of bitter
chocolate flavours with the characteristic
freshly-ground black pepper finish. Less
intensely sweet than all other leading
Vintage Ports, Dow’s 2003 has the
thoroughbred drier style that will give
excellent ageing potential.
The Viticultural Year
Bud burst read more...took place at Bomfim on the
15th March (with some variation for the
different varieties), a little earlier than the
norm due to warmer weather. April was
quite damp, with a rather unwelcome
99mm of rain and preventative treatment
was required both against mildew and
oidium. Flowering took place under very
good conditions in mid May, which was
particularly dry. Veraison took place for
Touriga Franca on 18th July followed by
Barroca and Roriz. For Nacional, veraison
only came in the first week of August.
Then came the famous and much vaunted
‘hot summer of 2003’. Thankfully, the
heat did not persist and from the 14th
temperatures returned to the more normal
scales of between 34ºC and 36ºC. It was a
little hot in September: daytime
temperatures were in the low 30º’s and
nighttime temperatures around 18ºC.
Consequently the grapes were coming into
the wineries quite warm, especially in the
afternoons. Cooling equipment was
important. The fruit was in quite excellent
condition and Baumés were very good
indeed. (hide)
Dark and intensely purple right up to the
rim. On the nose, a restrained and subtle
aroma of rockrose and gum-cistus. On the
mouth the Dow’s 2003 has powerful and
rich tannins with immense ripe fruit
flavours. There are layers of bitter
chocolate flavours with the characteristic
freshly-ground black pepper finish. Less
intensely sweet than all other leading
Vintage Ports, Dow’s 2003 has the
thoroughbred drier style that will give
excellent ageing potential.
The Viticultural Year
Bud burst read more...took place at Bomfim on the
15th March (with some variation for the
different varieties), a little earlier than the
norm due to warmer weather. April was
quite damp, with a rather unwelcome
99mm of rain and preventative treatment
was required both against mildew and
oidium. Flowering took place under very
good conditions in mid May, which was
particularly dry. Veraison took place for
Touriga Franca on 18th July followed by
Barroca and Roriz. For Nacional, veraison
only came in the first week of August.
Then came the famous and much vaunted
‘hot summer of 2003’. Thankfully, the
heat did not persist and from the 14th
temperatures returned to the more normal
scales of between 34ºC and 36ºC. It was a
little hot in September: daytime
temperatures were in the low 30º’s and
nighttime temperatures around 18ºC.
Consequently the grapes were coming into
the wineries quite warm, especially in the
afternoons. Cooling equipment was
important. The fruit was in quite excellent
condition and Baumés were very good
indeed. (hide)
