Dow's Vintage Port 1985

Dow's is a family-owned Port house that has been producing traditional-style Port for more than 200 years, despite war, disease and economic turbulence. One of the most revered of Port producers, it owns some of the finest vineyards in the Douro Valley.

The business that would eventually become Dow's was founded in 1798 by Bruno da Silva, a Portuguese wine merchant who moved to London to sell his wines there and he quickly became an integral part of the London wine industry. During the Napoleonic Wars, da Silva had great difficulty bringing his wines to London because of naval actions in the Bay of Biscay. His was the first Port company to receive a royal assent, allowing him to transport his wines from Portugal under his own armed protection. In 1877, Bruno's grandson sought to expand the company and merged with another famous Port producer, Dow and Co. The co-owners decided that the company would be known Dow's.

Since 1961, Dow's has been owned by the Symington family who have historically been heavily involved in the Port industry. The Symingtons are now part of the internationally recognised Primim Familiae Vini, a group of 11 leading winemaking families from aroudn the world, including Mouton Rothschild of Bordeaux, Sassacaia of Tuscany and Pol Roger of Champagne.

Dow's owns four vineyards in the Upper Douro Valley, each with grapes that bring different characteristics to the Dow's portfolio. Quinta do Bomfim is one of the finest of the four vineyards, and the grapes from here are responsible for the structure of the majority of the Dow's Ports. The Sehora da Riberia vineyard has the highest percentage of old vines, the majority of which are at least 25 years old. These vines are low yielding and ideal for Vintage Port.

The company produces a range of Ports, from basic Ruby and Tawny versions, to aged Tawnies, single-quinta expressions, and the Vintage Port, which is well-regarded by critics. - information from Wine Searchers