Portugal is HOT! People, history, art, architecture, beaches, food, and especially their wines… We hadn’t seen much of these jewels on Wine Spies, till lately. The demand grew with the selection of outstanding wines, but rarely as amazing deals. Beyond Port, we’ve tasted stunning dry reds from these parts, and here’s the TOP VALUE we’ve yet tasted. With 93 points from Wine Enthusiast and a modest $24 price, you can’t go wrong here.

We were floored, like fillets of bacalhau.

Where else in the world can a perfect Old World meets New World styled Cab blend from a 526-year-old winery (!), with big press to back come from? And where else but here can you get that for a mere 20 bucks and change?

Inky black all the way from the core to the rim, except for a tight bright crimson glow on the very edge. Insert geek note: this deepness we owe to Alicante Bouschet, one of the very few ‘teinturier’ varieties on earth that has dark red flesh. The nose is intense with blackberries, black cherry, hints of earth, and licorice. The palate echoes the nose with additional layers of jammy figs and plums, with dashes of orange peel, and clove. The finish is persistent, with firm but fine-grained tannins that leave the mouth yearning for more. Savor with a wide selection of your favorite tapas, cheeses, and charcuterie.

If you like ‘em BIG but with a small price tag, then this is your Cab Blend.

When Bloomberg called it out with their “Eight Ways Wine Will Change in 2021” predictions that “The wine country of 2021 will be Portugal” they must have described THIS WINE with “The thirst for discovery rolls on, and Portugal is becoming the latest hotspot. Why did sales of the country’s wines surge 35.1% in September alone in the US.? It’s simple: quality-price ratio. They’re delicious, food-friendly, inexpensive, and more than worth the cost.”

Back the caminhão up!

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Produced from a selection of fruit, this wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. It is dense, deeply structured, full of dark plum and damson fruits that are shaped by the tannins. The wine has fine potential, and should not be touched before 2022.”