Community Tasting Note

• al80813@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 points

  April 28, 2024 - This is a long note. Sorry. TL;DR be patient with this wine and you’ll be rewarded.
  
  Opened and decanted for an hour before pouring back into the bottle. 37% Touriga Nacional, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), 13% Tinto Cão, 9% Souzão, 4% Mourvèdre, 4% Grenache, 4% Counoise from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State. Fermented in concrete and open top stainless steel before aging in 30-40% large new French oak vessels.
  
  Deep garnet in the glass, candy-apple red at the edge of the glass. On the nose it was quite closed with cigar box, graphite, and some cooked red fruit peeking behind. On the palate it’s showing complexity but still shy, and still quite shy after an hour and a half of being open. On the palate it’s got sweet tobacco, lots of earth/herb, and mixed berries.
  
  After 2hrs it’s showing savory herbs on the nose and shows brighter red cherry and strawberry than before. With more time it opens more decisively on the palate to ripe strawberry, blueberry, and that persistent sweet tobacco note, with a long coffee finish.
  
  It’s on the fuller side of medium body, tannins were harsh and chewy initially but mellowed out after an hour. Not quite silky but they’re unobtrusive after some air. Acidity is medium.
  
  Interesting project to grow Iberian grapes in Washington. I spoke to the winemaker who mentioned they now make this cuvee with 100% estate fruit and says lots of other folks are wisening to the potential of Iberian varietals there.
  
  Great QPR at $30. Drink or hold, it’s not going to age for 40 years but it’s got enough acidity and tannins to rest for a bit. This is very nice after 2hrs in glass.

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