WINES TO TRY
1 Porta 6 Reserva 2018
£11.99 Majestic
The reserve version of the fruity Porta 6 Red adds woodsmoke, cedar and milk chocolate to the intense cassis aromas. A blend of 40% Syrah, 20% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Touriga Nacional produces ripe, well-integrated tannins, with balance coming from sweet vanilla, red cherry, and raspberry and blackberry jam notes.
2 Villa Oeiras Vinho Generoso 7 years
£24.50-£25 (for 375ml) Vinoteca, Bar Douro
Villa Oeiras fortifies its blend of Arinto, Galego Dourado, and Ratinho with 77% brandy from the Lourinhã region to create a golden wine with 18.5% alcohol by volume. Caramel and nutty notes on the nose are joined by sweet honey on the palate. Spending an average of seven years in Portuguese and French oak means its woody tannins lend themselves to pairing with cheeses and pâtés.
3 Stones & Bones 2019
£10.49 Laithwaites
Ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils inspired the name for this blend of Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Alicante Bouschet. Winemaker Diogo Sepúlveda uses the skills he learned in Pomerol, Napa and Barossa to coax bright acidity, well-integrated ripe tannins, spun sugar, spicy clove, red cherry, and blackcurrant from his old vines.
4 CH By Chocapalha 2018
£34.25 Corney & Barrow
Described by winemaker Sandra Tavares da Silva as a tribute to her family’s Swiss heritage, this Touriga Nacional has aromas of cream, violets, roast meat and black cherry, joined by sweet vanilla and blackberry jam on the palate. The oak lets the fruit shine through, and there’s enough of both to balance the assertive tannins. The 2018 vintage will go on sale early in 2022.
5 Quinta do Monte d’Oiro Reserva 2016
£39.50 Amathus Drinks
Italian-style aromas of bright red cherry, redcurrant, spun sugar, and cedar. Ripe tannins are balanced by sweet vanilla, raspberry jam and red cherry, creating a warming winter red that’s rich with concentrated fruit. A 4% dash of Viognier is co-fermented with the Syrah. 6 Consensus, Pinot Noir & Touriga Nacional 2016 £13.99 Banstead Vintners
A single-estate blend of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Touriga Nacional produces aromas of bright red cherry, raspberry, woodsmoke and roast meat. On the palate, the bright acidity is balanced by lighter strawberry and redcurrant, leading into sweeter spun sugar and richer blackcurrant on the finish.
7 Casa das Gaeiras, Óbidos 2019
£12 Amathus Drinks
Óbidos, with its mild climate and morning hill mists, is known for its lighter style of wines. Casa das Gaeiras is light on its feet, with bright acidity and a mix of blackcurrant,
blueberry, raspberry and vanilla from a blend of Syrah, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. 8 Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal, Quinta de S. Francisco, Óbidos 2018 £13.50 The Real Wine Company
Mellow black fruit on the nose, exploding into a bright array of red fruit on the palate, stretching from raspberry and strawberry through to redcurrant, all wrapped in spun sugar. It’s fresh and bright, but with enough tannin to provide backbone.