Welcome to our first post in our series on the wines of Portugal.  While we will cover Portugal’s most famous wine, “Porto”, we’ll also focus in on some amazing red wines.  Since most of these wines are still somewhat under the radar, you can find phenomenal values in the region for both red and white wines.  Leading off our series is Dão.

Dão

Located 30 miles south of the Douro river lies Dão.  Protected by mountains from the Atlantic’s moisture, the Dão river is blessed with a dry and warm summers, and cool, wet winters.   For years wines in Dão languished under the local laws requiring grapes be sold to co-ops.  The resulting wines that came from this monopoly were mostly dull reds, with aggressive tannic structures not suited for most drinkers.  With the dissolution of this requirement, the wines have gradually improved into must juicier, fruity reds with a certain granite like character (there’s a lot of granite in this area).  This means there’s huge potential values to be had coming out of the Dão, especially if you’re a red drinker.

Quick Summary on Dão:

• Known for:  Juicy, fruity red wines with granite character
• Best Wine Style:  Dry Red
• Best Varietals: Touriga Nacional*, Alfrocheiro, Jaén [Mencia], Bastardo
• Notable Producers:  Quintas Das Maias, Quinta dos Roques, Alvaro Castro Quinta da Pellada

* – Touriga Nacional is the most age worthy, and frequently considered the dominant varietal.

Quinta Das Maias Vinho Tinto

As noted above Quinta Das Maias Vinho Tinto is produced by one of the best, Quinta Das Maias.  With that high recommendation coming from both The Wine Bible and The World Atlas of Wine, how’s the wine?

Sight: A beautiful ruby red, with a brickish hue, and a warm red edge.

Smell:  A beautiful mix of raspberries and spices come together with a hint of gamey leather.  There are some elements of darker berries and cherries.  Touches of black olive tapenade come into play.   The nose has a bright pop of redness about it.

Sip:  The body is light and pops with plenty of red fruit right off the bat, ranging from red plums to strawberries to raspberries.  The texture is smooth, yet vibrant, and plenty of supporting flavors like gamey meat, leather, and spice come into play.  As it goes, it builds more into the side of these flavors, with hints of smoke, black pepper, and espresso.

Savor:  The ending is deeply complex, layering spices over sun roasted plums. Elements of cedar and gamey leather run through, and build with a subtle hint of wine soaked olives.  The tannins are elegant, and refined.

Quinta Das Maias Vinho Tinto is an incredible layering of fruit, spices, and oak to produce a wine that’s better than the sum of its parts.  The simple body combined with elegant tannins, beautiful red fruit and layers of leather and spice makes this wine a head turner.   For only $15, Quinta Das Maias Vinho Tinto is an unbelievable value that’s a must try for any lover of complex red wines.

Verdict: Raspberries, Spice, Layered Complexity, Gamey Leather, Red Plums
Rating: 94
Price: $15
Dão, Portugal
Blend: Jean (60%), Touriga-Nacional (25%), Alfrocheiro (10%), Tinto-Roriz (5%)