February 13, 2015 - I brought this as a second, bonus bottle to a pre-Oscars screening of "Citizenfour" because I thought it was over the hill but it's still in good shape with a couple of years to go. It's not a profound wine and it's not getting any better, but it has aged well. Mostly dark fruit on the nose and palate. I don't know what the grapes are, b ut I didn't detect touriga nacional. I've had a half dozen dry Portuguese wines and all were lighter than this. It seemed matched for a nice steak. I only bought one bottle for $12. I wich now I had purchased several so I could track this wine's development over the years. Imported by Premium Port Wines, Inc.
December 24, 2010 - I like Portuguese varietals, and this wine is not a bad representative. The ageing has mellowed the dry tannins. Mellowed flavors. Good (83.5).
December 3, 2009 - Earthy nose with white pepper and dark fruit flavors.
June 18, 2009 - Earthy nose and tart black fruit.
March 3, 2009 - Not that complex but so well balanced. Wild uncrushed blackberry and sublte sweet blueberry notes on the nose and peppery black coffee, and sage on the palate. Round with great acidity and tons of tannin. Love it.
January 21, 2009 - Very promising nose with spicy mineral notes and some serious black cherry fruit. Unfortunately thin and hollow on the palate, but it wakes up again on the strong, rich finish. There's some good stuff going on here, but it isn't really coming together. Altogether it's pretty good for a $10 wine...
June 21, 2008 - Earthy and tight, like most Portuguese wines I've had. Some subtle fruit, but the earthiness is a little too much for my preference.
May 22, 2008 - Dark color. Earthy nose. Flavor is very earthy and the tannins are strong at first. After being breathing for about an hour, the tannins mellow out but there is still an earthy, dusty flavor and finish. The fruit that comes through is very typical of Portuguese wines. This wine is NOT for new world fans, but I like it.
February 29, 2008 - This wine is so good for the price. It’s very well balanced, with good fruit which isn’t overly ripe, and some nice smooth tannins. At $8, this is amazing.
January 17, 2008 - Thursday Night 5 for $5 (The Grapevine - Pocatello, ID): Dark purple-red color with moderate nose of game, wood and metal. Not much fruit on the nose. Medium body, dryer than expected with fresh acid and medium astringent tannins. Moderate flavors of spice, earth, dark fruit and oak. Long finish. Good balance and complexity. Interesting wine.