Wine Review: Portuguese reds worth a look

Once again, just when we need it, Portugal or a Portuguese citizen comes to our rescue.

Perhaps the reader does not know that it was a Portuguese soldier that decidedly helped us during the Revolutionary War. At the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in South Carolina, the retreating Continental soldiers left a cannon in their haste. So as not to have the cannon fall into the hands of the British, Peter Francisco, a 6'6" Portuguese soldier in George Washington's Revolutionary army, lifted the 1,100-pound cannon out of its carriage, hoisted it onto his shoulders and carried it up a hill to safety.

Although wounded several times, Francisco survived the war and lived a long life. In recent times, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a postage stamp to honor his contribution to our freedom, and there are even several states that have a Peter Francisco Day.

The current form of Portuguese assistance is in the field of wines – by sending to us their still wines to pick up the slack in the affordable wines category caused by tariffs.

Portugal is known for their wine called port, a sweet after-dinner wine that has been popular for centuries. Unfortunately, the country’s dry wines have never received the accolades that they truly deserve. An interesting feature about Portuguese dry red wines is that they are probably the darkest red wines in the marketplace today. There is a corollary in the wine industry concerning red wines: the darker the wine, the greater the flavor and aroma.

With Father’s Day approaching, I believe that a gift of Portuguese red wine will delight dear old dad while impressing him with your choice.

Quinta do Ataíde Doc Douro Red 2017 ($26)
To begin with, the Portuguese word quinta translates as estate and usually indicates a wine producer. This dark red wine has been made with grapes that are mostly indigenous to Portugal: the touriga franca, touriga nacional and Alicante bouschet. The aroma heralds black fruit, pine needles and vanilla, which is derived from the wines maturing in oak barrels and means that there is also a hint of oak. The finish of this wine is also very Portuguese, stressing the dark fruits and that indefinable flavor that permeates red wines from the Iberian Peninsula often called "flavor of the Mediterranean.”

Quinta do Ataíde Vinha do Arco 2016 ($41)
This very dark red wine offers a medium body and presents the aromas of roses mingled with notes of pine needles and the easily identified aroma of mint. The flavor highlights the ripe black fruit flavors and just a suggestion of vanilla drawn from aging the wine in oak barrels. The fruit flavors follow through to the finish, where they present themselves in a definable and enjoyable way.

Altano Organic Douro Red 2022 ($13)
As with all of the Douro wines, this wine is dark ruby in color. The aroma is typical of Douro still wines, plum and dark cherry, but in this case very intense as the flavor mirrors the aroma with a bit of oak and vanilla in the background. The finish is extremely long and opulent. This is a wine that the makers could and should be proud of as it encompasses everything one seeks in a fine red wine. Not to be pushy, but we feel that this wine is one that will please any critical wine enthusiast and definitely should not be missed.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.