The Douro River Valley is a stunning place, where the magnificent vineyards, climb the steep slopes in a series of rocky terraces, filled with a wealth of native Portuguese grapes. It’s in the peaceful village of Pinhão, the homeland of Port, that the vintners produce the Dow’s Vintage. The 2011 harvest, scored with 99 points by Wine Spectator Magazine, was appointed as the best of 2014. In 2011, the Port wine emerged with an extraordinary quality, considered by some as the best winemakers Vintage in 50 years. The vintage’s highest-scoring Port is the Dow’s. According with Wine Spectator Magazine “stands as a monument to quality and the Douro’s modernization. Not overly sweet, the 2011 Dow’s delivers an abundance of grip, the interplay of alcohol and tannins prerequisite to long life”. The Symington family is the Douro’s biggest landowner and a reference for the region, with about 2,400 acres spread over 26 quintas. The Dow’s fermentation confers it a touch drier than other Symington Ports, with less residual sugar and compact tannins which support concentrated black fruit, chocolate and spice flavors and an almost endless finish. Occupying the third position of one of the most prestigious wine lists in the world, is the red wine Chryseia, from the 2011 harvest, with 97 points, the highest score achieved so far The wine is a combination of two indigenous varieties, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, sourced from the vineyards of Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz. The Chryseia was considered by Wine Spectator magazine “an elegant and monolithic red, pure and powerful, with hints of lushness to the concentrated red plum, raspberry and dark currant flavors. This is filled with black olive and baker’s chocolate notes, backed up by grippy tannins”. The wine Quinta do Vale do Meão, from the same harvest, was distinguished in 4th place with 97 points. The blend of native Portuguese grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz. resulted on a truly remarkable wine. The winemaker Francisco Olazabal applied both traditional and modern winemaking techniques. The Wine Spectator Magazine considered this wine “a lush, seductive red, filled to the brim with an array of dark fruit and kirsch flavors”. Check here the complete list of classifications.