Day 5 – Thursday
Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim
First on the agenda for Day 5 of the tour was a visit to one of the Symington Family Estates’ properties, Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim. The Quinta is the flagship property for the Dow’s brand, and is very conveniently located right near the train station in Pinhão. When we arrived, we were greeted by our old friend, Gustavo Devesas, who is a Market Manager for the Symington Family Estates. Gustavo greeted us, smiled, and said that he had an exceptional tasting lined up for us.
With south-facing, “A-rated” vineyards and altitudes between 120 and 340 meters, Quinta do Bomfim has provided the wines that have served as the backbone for Dow’s Ports since it was acquired in 1896. The vineyards are now almost entirely “block-planted” in single variety blocks, allowing the wines to be vinified separately and then blended into the Port wines.
Those of us who had visited the property before were excited to see the new Visitor’s Center, which opened in May of 2015. The Center is a spacious building with white-washed walls and beamed ceilings, giving it the feel of an old Port warehouse. Adorning the walls and exhibition spaces are the history of Quinta do Bomfim and in a larger sense, the history of Port wine. It was fascinating to journey back in time with the old photos, ancient Port wine production equipment, and informative narrative throughout the center.
After spending some time in the Visitor’s Center, we toured the old lodge, which was built in 1896. For over a century, it has been the location where Port wines rested through the winter before being transported down the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia for long-term aging.
Finally, it was time to taste some Ports! Gustavo led us into the tasting room, where we were greeted by a fine collection of Symington Family Estates Ports.
1985 Dow Vintage Port – Opaque purple in color with hints of maroon. Herbal notes and some spirit on the nose. Milk chocolate and some raspberry on the palate. Full-bodied, concentrated approach, giving way to some nice waves of chocolate on the long, well-balanced finish. Great intensity of flavor. 93 points. 10/1/2015
1986 Dow Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Mostly transparent garnet in color. Slight herbal notes with red fruit underneath. Strawberry and touch of spice on the palate. Well-balanced tannins and a long finish. 91 points. 10/1/2015
1978 Dow Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Amber in color. Slightly subdued nose of red fruit with some underlying floral notes. Full-bodied with strawberry and a touch of cinnamon. Firm tannins on the mid-palate with a touch of spice on the finish. 91 points. 10/1/2015
1970 Dow Vintage Port – Clear ruby in color. Great floral nose. Unctuous, full mouthfeel on the approach with “dusty strawberries.” Nice tannins on the mid-palate. Great long finish – well balanced and well-integrated. 94 points. 10/1/2015
1965 Dow Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Amber-brown in color. Red fruit on the nose with some woody undertones. Unctuous toffee notes with some semi-sweet chocolate appearing on the mid-palate, along with some subtle cherry. Medium-long finish with good acidity. 90 points. 10/1/2015
1966 Dow Vintage Port – Semi-transparent and amber-brown in color. Still some bright red fruit underlying a dusty, herbal nose. Spice and raspberry compote on the palate. Full-bodied, with a very long, sweet finish. 92 points. 10/1/2015
1995 Dow Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Dark, mostly opaque purple-maroon in color. Dark fruit with a touch of eucalyptus. Blueberry with great structured tannins on the mid-palate. Long, unctuous finish with well-integrated tannins. 88 points. 10/1/2015
1997 Dow Vintage Port – Fully opaque with slight bricking at the edges. Beautiful floral and dark fruit nose. Luscious blueberry and cassis on the full mid-palate. Flavors continue to expand in the mouth through the long, well-structured finish. 93 points. 10/1/2015
2004 Dow Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port – Almost opaque dark purple in color. Herbal nose with some interesting black fruit underneath. Big blueberry on the palate. Wonderful structure and tannins evolving on the mid-palate. Intense, unctuous mouthfeel on the long finish. 92 points. 10/1/2015
2003 Dow Vintage Port – Opaque dark purple at the center with slight lightening on the edges. Very intense fruit and pronounced tannins on the approach. Black currant and blueberry compote on the palate. Long finish with firm tannins and touch of spice. 93 points. 10/1/2015
After the tasting, we headed out to the terrace for lunch. Seated under the arbor, looking out over the Douro River, the group discussed the visit and wines, and enjoyed a marvelous lunch with Gustavo.
2014 Symington Douro Altano Douro White Wine – N/R. 10/1/2015
2012 Symington Douro Altano Quinta do Ataíde Reserve Douro Red – N/R. 10/1/2015
Dow 20 Years Old Tawny Port – N/R. 10/1/2015
Croft’s Quinta da Roêda
The next stop on our tour was just a kilometer away at Quinta da Roêda. Similar to Quinta do Bomfim, Quinta da Roêda is the flagship property for the Croft brand of Port wines. Croft, which was established in 1588, was purchased by Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman in 1944, and was later transferred into the private ownership of John Fladgate. John Fladgate’s daughter married Charles Wright of Croft, and thus the property became a part of the Croft Family’s company in 1875. In 2001, The Fladgate Partnership, under the direction of Adrian Bridge, purchased Croft and its properties, bringing full circle the history of Quinta da Roêda.
The property is located near Pinhão, and since 2001 much effort has been put into renovating and improving the both the vineyards and the buildings. The newly renovated Visitor’s Center is located in the Quinta’s old stables, and is an open, welcoming space that maintains the traditional feeling of the historic property.
We were greeted at Quinta da Roêda by our old friend David Guimaraens, Technical Director and Head Winemaker of The Fladgate Partnership. We began our tour with David by visiting some of the production facilities, including the old stone lagars and the old Port Lodge.
As we toured the facilities, we received two surprise visitors, my old friends Alistair and Gillyane Robertson. Alistair ran the company from 1966 until he retired in 2001 (passing the reins of the company to his son-in-law, Adrian Bridge). He now serves as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Fladgate Partnership and is one of the more jovial personalities in the trade.
After our tour of the facilities, we headed over to the Visitor’s Center, where we sat down to begin our tasting of an amazing lineup of Croft Ports.
1963 Croft Vintage Port – Amber center with browning on the edges. Dusty leather with some caramel, orange spice and sweet pipe tobacco on the nose. Strawberry, honey, and caramel notes on the palate. Intense, unctuous mouthfeel. Full-bodied and very long finish. 94 points. 10/1/2015
1970 Croft Vintage Port – Amber brown in color. Notable sediment in the glass. Cedar and touches of vanilla bean on the nose. Buttery caramel and a touch of soy sauce on the palate. Sharp acidity and concentrated flavors on the mid-palate. Long, full-bodied finish with great, balanced acidity. 91 points. 10/1/2015
1994 Croft Vintage Port – Dark, opaque purple-brown in color. Floral notes with a touch of spirit on the nose. Surprisingly elegant wine on the approach, with tannins and red fruit making an entrance on the mid-palate. Full-bodied, long finish with a touch of bitterness on the tail end. 90 points. 10/1/2015
2002 Croft Quinta do Roêda Vintage Port – Dark, opaque ruby in color. A touch of either VA or some spirit on the nose. Intense, tight black cherry and plum notes on the expansive mid-palate. Noticeable tannins on the very long finish. 89 points. 10/1/2015
2003 Croft Vintage Port – Dark purple in color with brown hues, especially around the edges. Blackberry jam and cassis on the nose. Blackberry, tight tannins and a hint of mint underneath. Well-structured tannins on the finish. 93 points. 10/1/2015
2009 Croft Vintage Port – Purple-black in color. Dense black fruit on the nose. Intense blackberry and black currant on the approach. Tannins are very well balanced on the mid-palate. Long finish with a touch of acidity and a little spice. 91 points. 10/1/2015
2011 Croft Vintage Port – Dark purple in color with bricking on the edges. Cool black fruit on the nose. Luscious, juicy black plum on the palate, followed by well-structured tannins on the mid-palate and great structure and body on the finish. 92 points. 10/1/2015
2012 Croft Quinta do Roêda Vintage Port – Dark purple in color. Dark fruit compote on the nose. Cassis hiding underneath some earthy tannins. Grippy tannins on the full-bodied mid-palate. Some mocha and mint on the finish. 90 points. 10/1/2015
D.O.C. Restaurant
After we departed from Quinta do Roêda, we headed back to the hotel to refresh and change, and then headed over to DOC Restaurant. This is the first tour that we have visited the same restaurant twice on one tour, but with the stellar reputation of DOC, were all very, very happy to make the “sacrifice.”
We were very excited to be joined by one of the legends in the Port Wine Industry, Francisco “Vito” Javier de Olazabal, and his daughter Luisa from Quinta do Vale Meão.
Vito is the former Chairman of the Ferreira Port Wine Company and is the great-grandson of Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira. He took over the management of Ferreira from his father when the latter passed away in 1983. He oversaw the expansion of the business, including the purchase of additional Quintas and properties. Because of the economic success and the changing nature of the Port wine business, there was a growing concern that many of the share-holding relatives would cash out their shares, putting the future of the company at risk. Vito stepped in and negotiated the sale of Ferreira to Sogrape S.A., which preserved the Ferreira brand. He was asked to stay on as CEO of Ferreira, which he did for the next decade.
Vito used his share of proceeds from the sale of Ferreira to gradually acquire shares of Quinta do Vale Meão from his relatives, eventually owning it outright in 1994.
It was a pleasure to get to see Vito and Luisa again, and to taste some of their wonderful Quinta do Vale Meão wines.
2014 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro Meandro Blanco Douro White Wine – N/R. 10/1/2015
2012 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro Meandro Douro Red Wine – N/R. 10/1/2015
2008 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro Meandro Douro Red Wine – N/R. 10/1/2015
2009 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro Meandro Douro Red Wine – N/R. 10/1/2015