MIPTC #8 - Quinta do Romeu Riserva 2019

Hi! We're back, back, back again with another thirsty Friday edition of the #MIPTC newsletter!

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to my good LinkedIn buddy Chad Aboud for making me notice I had not reviewed any Portugese wines despite having been on vacation a few months ago. He's right: this could not stand, so there we go!

This week, we have a truly gorgeous example of the best Portugal can bring: a lovely, luscious and heartwarming red from the Douro region. By the way, if you haven't been to the Douro yet (like I miserably skipped on it), then you should probably make it part of your future travel plans because it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Credit: Andrew McLeod on Pexels

After reviewing lighter wines for the past few weeks, I thought I'd bring in something more table-and-BBQ-friendly while still fitting within my current fad of principally low-tannins, high-drinkability wines. This is just a phase, and I'm sure I will be obsessing over another style soon (especially with Fall being around the corner), but since I am the one purchasing and drinking the darn thing, I might as well enjoy it!

All right, enough chitter chatter: here's the lowdown for this week.

The Skinny

• From: Douro, Portugal.
• Varietals: Touriga Nacional,Touriga Franca,Sous?o
• Price: about $25 CAD
• Feature: Certified organic, natural wine

Tasting Notes

On the nose, this is intense yet inviting, with a lot going on. We start with subtle yet interesting floral aromas (orange blossoms, maybe? Haven't seen this in red wines in a while, and yet there it is). We then move to a core of stewed wild strawberries and black cherries that already makes you wonder how this wine will feel on your tongue. To wrap it up, we get another layer of fresh cut trees and roasted pine. This immediately took me back to the forests around Sintra, and god knows I'm a sucker for wines that can be so evocative of the place they're from.

On the palate, what is particular about this one from the get-go is the softness of the attack (i.e. the first thing you feel when the wine hits your palate). This honestly feels like a warm hug. Though one could be worried that everything would collapse due to this softness, we then move on to a quite balanced structure built around elegant, round tannins that are very well integrated to the red and black fruit aromas one expected from the nose. There's also plenty of acidity in the background even though it definitely does not steal the show here: this is a wine built around tannins and it does great at that. The finish gets a very elegant and classy balsamic note that lingers past its price point in good freshness.

Cutting To The Chase: Does It Please The Cork?

This was good, you guys. A great summer BBQ wine for most occasions and food combinations. We had it with Iranian-style filet mignon skewers and it was a match made in heaven. If you have access to it, I strongly recommend you get a bottle or 12 to stash for the next meaty occasion. I don't recall enjoying a sub-30$ wine like that in a good while, and I'll sure as hell try to find myself some more!

Cork Score: 4/5* - had this been 40$, I might have given it a 3.5, but for 25$ this deserves a standout score for sure.

***

*Here's the lowdown on the scores, by the way. Essentially, I don't believe in 100-point scales for things as subjective as wine. Simply put, I just don't think one can credibly justify a 1% or even a 10% increment between two wines. I therefore choose to go a bit more basic. Here's how I break it down:

• 1/5: Seriously faulty, terrible, undrinkable;
• 2/5: Flawed and/or of bad quality. This is the type of stuff you should probably cook with and not drink;
• 3/5: Decent. This is where most entries will end up. These wines are clean and well-balanced, but not particularly memorable and/or exceptional. They are recommendable, but not an experience per se;
• 4/5: Exceptional. I sadly drink few wines that get this rating, but my purpose is to drink more. This denotes a memorable bottle that brought up some kind of emotion in me. This left a mark, and odds are I am now busy recommending it to everybody I know;
• 5/5: Perfect. I think I have probably tasted less than 5 bottles that would have qualified for a 5/5 in my entire life. This denotes an absolutely incredible wine that will imprint a definite memory for years to come - a true experience in itself.