2016 Quinta Do Soito DOC Dão ‘Taleiga'

40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz, 20% Jaen, 10% Alfrocheiro from vineyards in the Terras de Azurara subregion, known for its Mediterranean climate and granitic soils.Classic vinification in stainless steel vats with maceration on the skins for 6 days. Aged in steel for two years before release. 13% alcohol. Only 1,600 cases made.

Great value on a cool little Portuguese red blend with some bottle age on it already! A rare Portuguese red that doesn’t see any oak, this is a pure expression of the fruit qualities of these native grapes. Cherry, raspberry, plum, earth, herbs and flowers all make an appearance in this smooth, medium bodied, well balanced wine. The extra years of bottle age have smoothed out the tannins here nicely. A great weeknight bottle for burgers or BBQ chicken. 

Soito Wines, founded in 2013, is a young and promising venture in the Dão region. At Quinta do Soito, two teachers, José Carlos Soares and Sandra Soares, turned a family farm into a wine estate. They farm about 40 acres of vineyards, split between their home estate in the village of Tibalde, and another in Mesquitela. Between the two properties they grow Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, Encruzado and Malvasia-Fina. The Dão region, in northern Portugal’s Beira Alta, has ideal natural conditions for wine production, thanks to the protective mountains like Serras do Caramulo, Montemuro, Buçaco, and Estrela.