Tasting: Red Blend
Variety: Toriga Nacional 40%, Baga 20%, Alicante Bouche 20%, Syrah 20%
Region: N/A
Country: Portugal
Vintage: 2019
Price: $13
Winery Review: This easy drinking red wine is a modern expression of the spices discovered on the 'Spice Route' by Portuguese explorers in 1498. These explorers opened up the Western world to exciting new flavors such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. The wine has extraordinary, rich flavors born of Portugal’s indigenous grapes and unique terrain. Intense, deep ruby color, with a bright red rim. The predominant flavors are ripe, cooked black fruits. Sweet notes of vanilla and hints of mocha. The first impression in the mouth is rich and full. Excellent balance of tannins and acidity, with a long, smooth finish. Pair with pork chops, beef stew, beef stroganoff, lasagna, and comparable dishes served with tomato-based or barbecue sauces.
Wine Folly: I used Syrah since it is the only varietal in Wine Folly - "When you taste Syrah you’ll be greeted with a punch of flavor that tapers off and then has a spicy peppery note in the aftertaste. Because of its front-loaded style, Syrah is often blended with grapes that add more mid-palate, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, to help make the wine taste more complete. Syrahs from Italy and France tend to have more acidity and earthy-herbaceous aromas. Syrah wines from Australia, The U.S. and South America usually have more fruit-driven characteristics with lots of spice." - Page 113
My Review: This red blend caught my eye when browsing for wine this week. I went ahead and bought it because it contained three grapes native to Portugal and a few lesser known varietals I had not yet tried. This wine is what I think a classic "old world" wine would be considered. It was earthly, tannic, and had just a hint of spice. The best reviews about it are how versatile it is with pairing food and I wish I had a nice dinner to try it with. Overall it was a medium bodied wine that offered very smooth earthy notes that would be a very good dinner wine to pair with almost any dish.
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