Vintage Port Special Library Release

The 1994 is one of the finest Dow’s Vintage Ports of the second half of the twentieth century. It was widely acclaimed by wine critics and writers soon after its initial release, earning consistently high scores. For only the second time after the original en primeur launch, the Symington family have decided to release a restricted quantity from their own maturing stocks in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. This wine has perfect provenance having matured solely under the ideal conditions of the Dow vintage cellars, whose location benefits from the moderating maritime climate of the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Amazing near opaque crimson centre, belying its 27 years of age. Very fresh, focused fruit on the nose with distinctive aromas of blackcurrant and some liquorice notes. On the palate, the wine is very seductive, muscular, and taut with Dow’s typical peppery tannins, well integrated in the fruit and underpinning the incredible structure. Bright acidity shines through the wine, assuring its balance and further longevity. Irresistible to drink now but with another two or three decades of life ahead of it.
Symington tasting room, September 2021