Portugal continues to be on fire, producing great wines at affordable prices.  Containing Syrah, Alicante Bouschet,Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in oak, Perescuma 2013 should have all the right elements to make a truly interesting, deep, and full bodied red.   Award 91 points in Wine Enthusiast, and at $10, the positives about Perescuma just keep growing, but how does it actually taste?

Sight:  A deep, rich, inky purple with depth, and a solid magenta edge.

Smell:  The nose is slightly hot at the start, but comes loaded with black pepper, coffee, raspberry, blackberry jam, and a hint of peppers.  The nose is big and complex, but the heat pervades some of it.  Other notes include chocolate and espresso.

Sip:  The body is medium to heavy thanks to the weight, there’s no sweetness.   Coffee, unripe blackberry, black pepper, and huge tannic structure are all present.  A good amount of plum is present as a background player.  The mouthfeel is complex, and has a lot of pointed acidity and grippy tannin.

Savor:  The tannins are powerful, and grip for a long time.  The dark chocolate, coffee, and a note of plum skin linger for an extended duration.

Perescuma is wound slightly too tight to be enjoyed yet, but shows great promise.  Between the incredibly powerful tannins and the lively acidity, this wine needs more time in the bottle, or to be decanted / aerated.  It’s a great pairing for fattier foods like steaks, preserved meats, or sausages, and will rise to compliment the food with more focus on the fruit.  If you’d like to enjoy a wine on its own, Perescuma 2013 isn’t what you’re looking for today, but shows great promise in a few years.

Verdict:  Tannic, Coffee, Black Pepper, Bright
Price: $13 ($10.10 + Free Shipping with code IGPER13 at Wine Library)
Alentejano, Portugal