A wine from Symington Family Estates Vinhos Lda.
From time to time, I really like trying the new Portuguese reds: I find that contrasting them against Tempranillo-based Spanish reds is usually instructive, in that Portuguese wines are nothing like them—they have completely distinct characteristics and are therefore worthy of dedicated interest and attention.
14.5% alc./vol. $15.95 in the Vintages section of the LCBO. Natural cork closure.
This wine is a blend of 30% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz and 5% Tinto Cão—a fantastically unique blend of indigenous Portuguese varieties. I love the individuality and creativity behind such a blend.
Beautiful, dark, saturated garnet in the glass, with a black-cherry meniscus. An integrated nose of dark fruits such as blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries—and a briny redcurrant lift at the end. Firm and crisp on the entry, with good grippy tannin, a mid-weight mid-palate, a clean texture, good astringency on the aft-palate, and replays of the same dark fruits on the finish, but with a cleansing wrap-up that is hard not to appreciate. No oak that I can find.
Lovely wine, and it gets better with an hour or so of aeration. Great stuff and highly recommended.