2021 Vale Do Bomfim, Douro, Portugal

ABOUT THIS WINE

This wine comes from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal and is produced from grapes grown in higher altitude vineyards where lower temperatures and cooler nights provide the ideal conditions for even maturation of white grape varieties.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

One of the Douro Valley’s finest vineyards, Bomfim is the heart of the company’s greatest Ports, having provided the main structure for Dow’s Vintages since it was acquired in 1896. The property is situated in the centre of the best wine-producing area, known as the ‘Cima Corgo’, which offers an ideal balance between the relatively wet ‘Baixo Corgo’ to the west (with sometimes excessively rich soils for the production of great Port) and the intense heat of the ‘Douro Superior’ to the east. The area was well known to Dow’s as prior to purchasing Bomfim; the firm had traditionally purchased the production of some of the finest quintas in the vicinity.

Bomfim is a classic ‘River Quinta’ with many natural advantages: it is south-facing ensuring ample exposure to the sun; its stony schist soil affords excellent drainage allowing water to reach the vines’ deep roots; the annual rainfall is near perfect at 800mm (15 year annual average); the altitude ranges from 120 to 340 metres above sea level, accommodating both gentle gradients lower down and progressively steeper slopes higher up the valley side, as well as offering a variety of aspects. A further advantage is the consistency of the climate, blessed with a favourable combination of temperate and Mediterranean influences, respectively from Portugal’s Atlantic coast and the Spanish hinterland.