1896 Dow

[Alex Bridgeman]

Ullaged to mid shoulder, vintage was embossed on the wax capsule but shipper is unknown. The wax seal confirmed this was bottled by Lister & Beck.

Deep red-brown in colour and full of silt to the point of being opaque. Some dirty or mouldy orange showed on the nose, mixed with lots of dust. The nose was intense and concentrated, almost like a colheita but different enough for this to clearly not be a colheita style wine. Smooth entry with a powdery texture on the palate. Intense in flavour with lots of concentration and power; full of bitters to give a big mouthful. Big on the aftertaste with lots of heat before a long (4½ minute!) and bitter finish that is full of burnt sugar and bitter juniper. When filtered through unbleached coffee filter paper this yielded a clean, clear golden port of about 20% opacity.

Tom, whose palate for shippers is remarkably good, thought this to be the Dow. 90/100. Drunk 14-Dec-16.