Quinta do Crasto, Douro (Portugal) Touriga Nacional 2010

This wine is one of Quinta do Crasto’s “Super-Douro” wines, made to showcase the quality and complexity of traditional Douro varieties. Touriga Nacional is a primary grape variety in the Douro and Porto regions, and deservedly so. The color is royal purple at the rim and has almost India ink concentration at the center. Effusive, opulent aromas of purple flowers, cardamom, bergamot, and red fruits are enticing. The palate continues this theme with blueberry, raspberry, and plum fruit and an Earl Grey tea note. Sweet oak notes from aging in new French oak barrels remain in the background, while a streak of minerality cuts through the rich palate. This is a fine, elegant, but weighty wine with a long finish and excellent concentration.