Paul gets down in the Douro with Dows
Day One
3.45 a.m. The invasive tone of an insistent alarm clock pierces the stillness of slumbering Godalming, it feels like only ten minutes since my head first touched pillow. An ungodly, possibly unhealthy, hour of the morning to start a journey.
The bags tumble down the stairs into the car and, eyelids drooping, I set course for the airport. I never would have believed I would say this but the M25 is actually a joy to use at that time of day.
5.15 a.m. South Terminal, Gatwick and I meet my fellow Douro–bound explorers, a hardy group of wine trade professionals who, unnervingly, look remarkably awake – I wonder what their secret is……
Check-in done, customs cleared and departure lounge found. I vaguely recall queuing for what seems an eternity for a bottle of water in the double-priced branch of a well known high street stationers.
9.00 a.m. We arrive bumpily, but safely, in Oporto and are instantly whisked away to the Graham’s Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia to be greeted by the extremely amiable Senor Joao Vasconcelos who will be our personal guide for the next few days.
With reverence we are ushered in to a darkened room, presented with coffee and blasted by the coldest air-con unit known to man. (I suspect just to keep me awake) Joao then guides us through an enlightening slide presentation on the Symington Family Estates, their history, production methods and wines.
Just as I am starting to doze the lights come up and in bounds the exuberant Gustavo who, I am led to believe, was born in a lagar. He takes us on a tour of the lodge with its endless rows of barrels, enormous ageing vats, ancient ledgers and caged vaults of vintage ports. The meandering tour naturally progresses to it’s final destination, the tasting room – 3 tawny’s, 3 blends, 3 single quintas and 2 declared vintages before lunch. (now that’s what I call an aperitif!)
We tried the Grahams 2007 declared vintage – most people would say this is far too young to drink, but I reveled in it, loads of up-front, fresh berry fruit with a hint of violets, and to balance it, a lovely dollop of tannin.
Suitably swirled and spat and with the clock ticking we are sped across town to arrive belatedly at the Factory House in Oporto. With a glass of sherry (yes sherry!) in hand, we embark on a mini tour of this wonderful building with Rupert Symington as our guide and then head back downstairs just in time for ‘The Wednesday Lunch’ – a weekly affair attended by members of the Port Wine Shippers Association, where we get to join in playing ‘Pass the Decanter’ and ‘Guess the Port’ whilst spooning out lumps of Stilton.
Still ruminating we are loaded back in to taxi’s and then deposited at the train station where we begin a magnificent rail journey up the Douro Valley. The track follows the natural course of the river and as you leave civilisation behind the scenery evolves into the steep, mountains and terraced vineyards that are so associated with this stunning region.
The region is so beautiful and unusual it has now been classified a world heritage site by UNESCO.
We arrive at Tua Station and after being directed across the tracks by an ageing local we are thrown on to the back of an open truck, bags et al, for the short drive to Quinta das Malvedos, one of the Symington’s flagship estates, our home for the next three nights. Drinks roll into dinner which rolls into more drinks and then bed.
Ports of the day
1998 Quinta do Senhora de Ribeira
2007 Grahams vintage
Day Two
After an early start for breakfast, we are led down to a small pontoon on the waterway below to board a large floating sofa aptly named ‘The Party Barge’. We begin a slow cruise back down river enjoying the beautiful scenery until we are met by Paul Symington and perform a mid-stream transfer to his speedboat. After an eye-watering blast we arrive at Quinta do Bomfim, the home of Dow’s Port.
Safely back on terra firma we are escorted around the winery by the chief winemaker Miles. Bomfim is where a large percentage of the family’s wines are made before being transported to Vila Nova for ageing and it is here we are introduced for the first time to a robotic lagar, a very large piece of machinery that perfectly re-creates the action of feet pressing down on grapes.
We then head up into the hinterland to Quinta da Cavadinha, situated on the Pinhao River, a tributary of the Douro. This estate, whilst creating its own wines, is also where the Symington family has planted their experimental vineyards, which allow direct comparison of different grape varieties, rootstocks and the interactions between them. All the grape varieties in the vineyard are planted to provide sufficient quantities of grapes for micro-vinifications to be carried out. Being able to carry out such exercises is fundamental to the purpose of the vineyard as none of the information is useful unless it can be practically translated into improvements in wine quality and consistency.
After a quick tasting and tour of the small winery, unusually located at the top of the vineyards, we head to Paul Symington’s house for lunch, a delightful local recipe of rice with chicken and a green salad washed down with plenty of Altano Blanco. A deliciously crisp, dry white Douro DOC wine from their own estates.
Back to the boat for an up-stream cruise to Quinta do Roriz (pronounced roar-reesh – we all decided that to pronounce the estate names correctly in Portugal, one must master the Sean Connery accent)
Alongside Port this estate produces the joint-venture wines of Prats & Symington – Chryseia and Post Scriptum – juicy Touriga rich wines that see plenty of new oak. Unfortunately we were running late and the bottles had been left on a window ledge where they had got just a tad warm to taste (they were consumed with dinner that very same evening). A weary group headed back to Malvedos for a dip in the pool with a beer before dinner.
Ports of the day
Grahams 1970 vintage
Grahams 40 year old Tawny (with a Cohiba)
Day Three
Up with the larks again for breakfast (grapefruit from the trees next to the pool) we finally get to have a look at the winery where we are staying – at Malvedos they still use the traditional foot pressed granite lagares alongside the robotic ones.
We then set off for a 2 hour drive to Quinta do Senhora de Ribeira along a winding mountain road with no barriers but incredible scenery. Senhora da Ribeira is one of the estates which makes Dows Port, with Dows they run the vinifcation a short while longer than other Port houses to create a slightly drier style, a style I have to admit being quite fond of.
Tour and tasting over we cross the river to the legendary Quinta do Vesuvio, the fairly recently acquired jewel-in-the-crown of the Symington family estates. We pause for lunch on the balcony of the main house, plates of steaming Bacalhau (a delicious local speciality made with salted cod and potatoes) and a crisp green salad. It is at the close of this meal I try my first ever Colheita, a single vintage, single estate, tawny port that is taken straight from the barrel in the winery – an incredibly complex wine that is probably the vinous highlight of my trip.
We then head for the winery, an enormous building with eight huge granite lagares, this estate is possibly the last in the Douro that presses all its grapes by foot. It is on this tour that yours truly takes a funny turn and has to head for fresh air. I remain unsure as to the cause – probably a combination of Colheita and Celsius, but, regrettably, I have to pass on the tasting here.
We hop back across the river, into the MPV and, sated naps all round, head back to Malvedos for yet more drinks and dinner
Ports of the day
Quinta do Vesuvio 1992 Colheita (from the barrel)
Dows Dry White Port (with tonic)
Day Four
Yes, another early start, a drive to Oporto and home.
This was a fantastic trip to a beautiful region with fantastic wines, but what stands out to me the most is the passion, belief and commitment displayed by all the people we met, from the heads of the family all the way down through the company.
PS. A BIG thank you to Kate Sweet of Limm PR for the photos.