Product Overview
The Dow's 2015 Quinta Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port is a single-quinta vintage port. The Senhora d Ribeira is located upriver in the remote Douro Superior. The vineyard commands a magnificent north bank position, overlooking a broad sweep of the Douro, directly opposite another famous vineyard: Quinta do Vesuvio. Senhora de Ribeira was built close to an ancient river crossing, guarded by two 12th century castles on either side of the river built by the Moors during their centuries long occupation of Iberia. A small chapel dedicated to the ‘Lady of the River’ (literally: Senhora da Ribeira) has stood there for centuries and gave the quinta its name. The very hot climate through the summer at this vineyard results in highly complex and concentrated wines but very low yields. Colours of the musts in the fermentation tanks are always purple-black due to the very high skin to juice ratio. The old vines add further to the intensity of the wine as they make up a very large percentage of the vineyard. The resulting wine can be described as being the essence of Vintage Port, with powerful wild red-fruit flavors, leading into rich black chocolate notes, the whole balanced by complex, attractive, and peppery tannins.
93 Points, "Cellar Selection" - Wine Enthusiast
"Rich and fruity, this wine is packed with intense black-currant flavors. It is perfumed, ripe with a good tannic background. The density of the wine and the firm structure point to a long aging process. Drink this beautifully structured wine from 2026." -RV, 10/1/17
93 Points - Wine Advocate
"The 2015 Quinta de Senhora da Ribeira, the Douro Superior quinta, is a blend of Touriga Franca 55%, Touriga Nacional 35% and Sousão 10%. It comes in at 98 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a relatively big boy on first taste, showing good structure and a mouth-coating demeanor. The delicious flavors, laced with cherry-chocolate and some mint, make it enticing, not just well structured. This is a lovely single-quinta that should age pretty well and still be approachable young. As it sat and aired, it became a bit more mute. It did seem to come around very fast, and it was not quite as impressive as the initial tastes suggested. It is still pretty delicious and it should hold well. This has been released. There were 700 cases produced, plus some large-format bottles." -MS, 8/31/17
91 Points - Wine Spectator
"This takes a fresh approach, with a spearmint hint piercing the core of bright, juicy blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry paste flavors. Rounded and generous, showing an open feel. Eschews grip for purity and charm. Best from 2025 through 2035. 700 cases made." -JM, 12/15/17
