Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim 2010 is a joy to behold. Ripe black fruit comes to the fore, but it’s delightfully intermingled with fresh mint and eucalyptus notes that bring an elegance and aromatic intensity to the wine. Blackberry, pepper notes, caramel and liquorice all come through on the palate, which is seductive, ripe and instantly pleasurable.

Dow’s Port was founded in 1798 by Bruno da Silva and is unusual amongst the pioneering Port houses for setting up in London rather than in Portugal’s Douro Valley. Bruno married an English lady and assimilated himself into London high society. This stood him in good stead during the Napoleonic Wars when, during these turbulent times, other Port houses’ sales fell, Bruno was able to acquire a ‘Letter of Marque’ (A Royal Assent to equip a merchant ship with guns). This made the perilous journey from Oporto to Bristol a little easier and kept the flow of Port running through the war. Nowadays, the house is famed for having two of the best Quintas in the Douro valley, Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, where they make some of Portugal’s finest wines.