I received a telephone call this morning with one of those...do you want the good news or the bad news scenarios...
Ever the optimistic, I opted for the latter...
'Dow's 20 Year Old Tawny Port has been discontinued in the UK market'...
...silence...gulp...
'The good news?'
THE PRICE!!!!!!!!
Dow's history can be traced all the way back to 1798 and has been family owned for over two centuries. Bruno da Silva made the opposite journey to most founders of the big Port names today, in that he decided to relocate his merchant business in Oporto to London, and import the wines of his native country. He married an English woman, and everything was going great until the Napoleonic War when the business came under threat. Bruno's answer? Equip his ships with guns. He secured Royal Assent to do so to secure the safe passage of his Port to London.
The story thereafter becomes less interesting and more complicated, but ultimately Bruno's original business merged with smaller (Portuguese) company Dow & Co in the nineteenth century and the name Dow's was chosen as the brand name.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the company had invested more in the Duoro (with the purchase of three very fine vineyards) than any other traditional port house.
Here at the Wine Shop, we like the Dow's house style but always encourage people to try the lesser known Tawny ports.
In contrast to the 'vintage character', darker, fruitier ports more widely available, the Tawny ports are aged in seasoned oak casks and become more mellow, complex and delicate with age.
Dark, vibrant purple in youth, they eventually gain a classic, amber tawny hue that gives them their name.
When we showed the 20 Year Old Tawny from Dow's (at £34.99 a bottle) at our annual Port tasting in December last year, I noted that on top of the mature, raisiny fruit aromas, there were hints of honey and caramel, and the palate showed classic nutty characters, but with a clean, crisp mouthfeel, and a soft, rich finish.
The beauty of these ports too, is that, unlike the Quinta and Vintage Ports, they are ready for immediate drinking...no worrying about whether it's ready to drink, too young, or too old, and no decanting required!
And that price I mentioned...save over £10 a bottle when you preorder by email, and receive a massive 40% off when you order six bottles.
Too good to be true? As far we can see there really is no catch here...recently bottled, in good nick, and current stock (that I ordered at Christmas) is sitting on the shelf in Russell Street at its genuine price of £34.99.
The sun's shining, Easter's looming...I can't think of anything much better than to enjoy some aged Tawny with friends or family...with some fruitcake, some ice cream, some creme brulée...oh yes, and chocolate!
'Delish' as Jamie would say
Léonie
Give me a call at the shop on 01538 382408 or email us at info@wineandwhisky.com if you would like to join our Wine Club (free of charge) and pre-order Dow's 20 Year Old Tawny Port at just £24.49 a bottle or 6 bottles for £120...only limited stocks available so when it's gone, it's gone!
Very Good.
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