Dow's Vintage Port 1977

Pairs with: Artisanal blue cheeses like Stilton, roasted walnuts, dark chocolate, or enjoyed entirely on its own as a meditative post-dinner drink

Good for: Commemorating a monumental milestone, anchoring a legendary tasting of historic wines, or slow-sipping a legendary piece of liquid history

Grape: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca

I am from: Douro Valley, Portugal (Sourced primarily from Quinta do Bomfim)

The Story: Founded in 1798, Dow’s is globally renowned for its distinctively drier, more muscular, and aristocratic style of Vintage Port. The 1977 Vintage is widely revered as one of the absolute greatest, most legendary Port vintages of the 20th century. While other houses lean into plush, overt sweetness, Dow's focuses on intense structural backbone and longevity. After spending just two years in seasoned oak wood, this wine was bottled unfiltered and has spent nearly five decades maturing patiently in the cellar, evolving into an extraordinary masterpiece.

Why You'll Love Me: It is an experience of pure elegance, depth, and profound maturity. Having shed its youthful black-purple skin, it pours a beautiful, deep garnet-ruby with a translucent mahogany rim. The nose is incredibly ethereal and complex, unfurling with notes of dried dark currants, figs, and prunes, seamlessly intertwined with cigar box, dark chocolate, exotic baking spices, and Dow's signature hint of licorice and mint. On the palate, it showcases a beautifully dry, lean profile that is perfectly balanced by perfectly integrated, silky-smooth tannins and a vibrant acidity, leading to a monumental, remarkably clean, and seemingly endless finish.