Raríssimo by Osvaldo Amado, Dão DOC (Portugal) 2016

 Osvaldo Amado an accomplished winemaker in Portugal with an interesting and diverse background.  Originally from Angola, he came to Portugal as a younger man and found his way into Oenology in his postgraduate education.  His Raríssimo label is all about complexity and elegance.  With plenty of sunshine, many Portuguese reds have incredibly high tannin structures.  Historically, the high tannins have even driven a lot of the winemaking in the region, including the by-foot maceration done lagars — large stone tanks used in Port wine’s fermentation process.  In contrast, Osvaldo’s Raríssimo is pale in color with bright red fruit, earthy and mineral driven undertones.  It is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonêz, Alfrocheiro, and has both complexity and superb balance.  Everything about this wine speaks of quality despite being in a magical Portuguese red wine camp of its own.  While I am certain this wine is cellar-worthy for 10+ years, it is already stunning today.