In Vila Nova de Gaia, where the Douro river meets the Atlantic, the cellars of C. da Silva have stood since 1862, letting Port wine rest in cool half-darkness. Dalva is the house's name to the world - a contraction of the surname "da Silva", born from one man's dream of building something lasting after years spent in Brazil. In this white Port, that story sits quiet and golden in the glass.
Expert's Description
Dalva White Port is a White Port from the Douro, matured in oak casks and bottled at 19%. The wine comes from C. da Silva (Vinhos) S.A., a Port house founded in 1862 in Vila Nova de Gaia, where the company's present name and direction were set early in the 20th century, when Clemente da Silva took over the firm through marriage.
The Dalva name was registered as a trademark in 1934 - a contraction of "da Silva" - shortly after Clemente da Silva returned home from a spell in Brazil to pursue his dream of a world-class wine house. Today Dalva is best known for its white Ports and Colheita releases, which spend years maturing in cask in the damp cellars along the river.
This bottling is made from old vines, mainly the Gouveio and Malvasia Fina grape varieties from the Douro valley. The wine matures for an average of around three years in wood, which gives it its golden colour and a soft, rounded sweetness - neither as dry as an Extra Dry nor as sweet as a Lágrima, but somewhere in between, exactly as a classic white Port should be.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Dried fruit, baked apple and dried flowers on the nose, with a faint trace of honey underneath.
Palate
Full-bodied and soft on the palate, with flavours of apricot, creme brulee and a light nuttiness of almonds, carried by a pleasant sweetness that never turns cloying.
Finish
The finish is long and smooth, with a light acidity that keeps the sweetness in check and leaves a clean, fresh close.
Specifications
Name: Dalva White Port
Distillery: Dalva (C. da Silva)
Region/Country: Douro, Portugal
Type: White Port
ABV: 19%
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Bottled: NV (non-vintage)
EAN no.: 5603003112036
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled at 6-7°C in a Port wine glass, as an aperitif or with almonds and hard cheese.
Flavour Profile
Sweet · Fruity · Nutty · Smooth
Did You Know?
Dalva holds one of the world's most unusual stocks of white Colheita Ports - some vintages date all the way back to 1952, 1963 and 1971, and they are still sold today as some of the house's most sought-after bottles.
See our full range of Dalva
