Douro Valley, Portugal
So my last few postings have been on California wines, so as not to rule out the rest of the world, let's go to Portugal. I've never been but I must say they make some great wines and especially wonderful Ports. Interestingly this wine comes from the same valley where many port wines are made, The Douro Valley. Additionally, the 4 grape varietals used in this wine are amongst the top 5 used for port wine production. However, by no means is this wine sweet like you would find in a port.
Comprised of 35% Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempranillo), 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca and 15% Touriga Nacional, this wine hit a big WOW factor with me. The aromas were full of dark cherries, white pepper and hints of leather and flint. Blackberries, dark ripe cherries and a soft hint of mocha brought the flavors together for a perfect structure. Medium bodied with a soft mouth feel and silky tannins definitely put this wine at an amazing level for the price point.
I paired this with a rosemary rubbed, thick, bone-in grilled pork chop. The wine complemented the meal perfectly as I feel it would with many other grilled meats. A 2010 is out now and I’ve seen nice reviews on it.