I’m jumping back into the swing of things with Wine Blogging Wednesday this month. The theme for this edition, though, was more challenging than usual. Ryan and Gabriella  from Catavino were the hosts this month so you just knew the theme would center around Iberian wines. Sure enough, our charge was to taste a table wine from Portugal, steering clear of Madeira, Vinho Verde, ports, and wines from the more well-known Duoro region.

What makes this theme difficult is simply that it’s hard to find a wide selection of Portuguese tables wines in my area. My first thought was a trip to The Spanish Table, a purveyor of fine Iberian food and wine products located in Berkeley. However, since a trip to the Bay Area wasn’t in the cards this month, I was forced to hit a big box wine retailer for my selection.

The wine I tasted comes from one Portugal’s largest, if not the largest, producer. The 2001 Sogrape Duque de Viseu Tinto from the Dão DOC is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz and set me back $10 USD.

The color of this wine was a beautiful blood orange at the edges with medium depth. The nose was quite earthy with scents of leather, tar, chocolate, and black cherries. On the palate there was stewed cherries, black olives, and dusty-fine tannins. The finish was dry and lingering.

All in all this wine really surprised me. For the price I was not expecting so many flavors and nuances. This is an old-world style wine that comes from the earth and a wine that begs to be shared with food.