Quinta do Bomfim: A Tasting Flight

During my vacation in Portugal, and while we were still in the Douro region, we had a little free time available, after our incredible lunch at Quinta da Pacheca. So, we made a brief stop at the Quinta Do Bomfim tasting room. This tasting room is part of Symington Family Estates, a family business whose history extends to the 19th century and which currently owns port houses, including Graham's, Dow's, Warre's, and Cockburn's. They also have a portfolio of Douro wines including Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano, and Prats & Symington. They own 26 Quintas in the Douro region, with over 2500 acres of vineyards. 

Quinta Do Bomfim, located on the Douro River, receiving its name from "Vale do Bomfim," the "well-placed valley." The quinta was acquired by Dow's in 1896, and in 1912, Andrew Symington became a partner in Dow's. It became a famed quinta, and many of Dow's best Ports come from grapes from this Quinta, and they are all crushed in traditional lagares. 

At the tasting room, where you can taste most Symington ports and other wines, there are a few different wine flight options, and you can also select a number of wines by the glass.  I opted for the Specialist Flight, which included four wines: one White, one Red, and two Ports.  

I began with the 2020 Altano White Reserva (about $14), a blend of Viosinho, Gouveio and Rabigato (primarily Viosinho), which was aged for about 8-9 months in 2nd-use French oak. The aroma brought some citrus and tropical fruit but also some oakiness. On the palate, the wine had good acidity, plenty of fruity flavors, from citrus to pineapple, but also a prominent oaky note. The finish was moderately long but the oak presence was too prominent for my own preferences.  

The 2020 Quinta do Vesuvio Red ($60-$65) is a blend of 75% Touriga Franca, 22% Touriga Nacional, and 3% Tinta Amarela, which was aged for about 16 months in French oak (80% new oak). The grapes are from the Quinta Nova vineyard, which was acquired in the mid-19th century. With an alluring aroma, of black and red fruits, enhanced with spice notes, this wine was impressive. On the palate, it possessed a complex melange of appealing flavors, including ripe plum, blueberry, black cherry, dark spices, a hint of vanilla, and a backbone of minerality. Excellent acidity, well balanced, rich and silky smooth. It expressed elegant power, and possessed a long, lingering and compelling finish. This is a wine best paired with a steak or other hearty meal. Highly recommended and well worth the splurge.

The 1995 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port ($95-$100) is from a very good vintage, whose reputation may have suffered in comparison to the 1994 vintage which was considered exceptional. This Port was made in a more modern approach, and was full-bodied, rich and silky smooth, with a pleasing blend of flavors, including cherry, plum, caramel, subtle spice notes and a mild floral aspect. It was nicely balanced, sweet but with a nice counterbalance of acidity, and possessed a lengthy, satisfying finish. Would like to pair this Port with blue cheese, one of my favorite Port and food pairings.  

The Dow's 30 Year Old Port (about $160) is made from a blend of traditional Port grapes from Quinta do Bomfim and Quintada Senhora da Ribeira, two top vineyards. The grapes were foot-trodden in traditional lagares. This is an impressive aged Port, with an intriguing nose of dried fruit and nuts. On the palate, it presents a complex melange of dried fruits and raisins, accented by notes of nuts, caramel, chocolate and black tea. Each sip brings something new to your mouth. It's elegant, but with a certain intensity, and is also well-balanced, and more dry than sweet. The pleasing finish just goes on and on and on. Definitely a Port to linger over, to slowly sip and marvel at the different flavors which will come to you over time.