I’ll make no qualms about the fact that I do love a good Port. There’s something delightful about the way those jammy fruits interact with the weight of the alcohol and notes of spice. When it’s cold, and the leaves begin to fall, that to me signals the time for Port. As it also goes particularly well with chocolate covered raisins, it makes a good pairing for Halloween. Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage 2008 was delicious, so how does their Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2011 do at taking the edge off the chill, and complimenting chocolate covered fruits.
[Disclosure: Dow’s was nice enough to send me a sample of their wine to talk about for Halloween. Dow’s is a great producer of Porto, so I was excited to say yes!]
Sight: A deep inky purple with hot magenta edges that drape down the side of the glass.
Smell: Deep jammy blackberries with sweet prunes laid over the top. Plenty of dark fruits, crushed violets, a hint of spice, and dried tobacco come in to add complex.
Sip: The body is sweet, bright, full, and richly textured. There are tannins that build throughout the time on palate. On the palate, rich blackberry jam, loaded with cloves and cinnamon play main, while back ups of cigar, violet, and other dark fruits add complexity.
Savor: The tannins build more heavily here, and the flavors channel heavily through ripe, jammy blackberries, notes of cinnamon, and creamy milk chocolate.
Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port is delightfully muscular in it’s flavors, and well balanced with good acidity and sweetness. The blackberries and spice really shine through here, driving bursts of flavors. There are great background notes as well, giving it complexity. There’s wonderful ability here to be aged for a bit longer on the bottle to develop a bit more complexity. Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2011 is delightful, and perfect for chilly night or chilling with the ghouls and ghosties at Halloween.
Curious how Dow’s Late Bottle Vintage Port 2008 compares? Check it out!
Verdict: Jammy Blackberries, Spice, Violet, Cigar
Rating: 90
Price: $25 [This bottle was received as a sample]
Portugal