Vinha Maria Reserva Red

Vinha Maria Reserva Red is a fantastic, complex yet approachable white from the wonderful Dao region in Portugal. Dao is known for producing high quality whites due to it's proximity to the Estrela, Caramulo and Bussaco mountains. The wines here are great to drink on your own but also are extremely good for food pairing.
 
The name of this wine doesn't give much away, so I'll break it down.
 
Vinha Maria is the name of the wine. It is produced by Cabriz, a relatively young winery that was established in 1990.
 
Dao Doc is the region (as previously stated)
 
Reserva means that the winery believe this is one of their more premium wines.
 
Which Grapes Are In This Wine?
 
Like many typical wines of Portugal, this wine is a blend of grapes that all bring distinct qualities to the wine. The grapes used are called Touriga-Nacional, Aragone, and Alfrocheiro. Never heard of them? Don't worry, Portugal use a lot of indigenous grapes that aren't commonly planted anywhere else.
 
TASTING NOTES:
 
The wine has a deep purple colour to it, reminiscent of ink. This is due to the grapes in the blend being very dark skinned. On the nose it lovely and intense. There's wonderful dark fruit notes, with vegetal hints and subtle tones of oak from barrel ageing. On the palate it's ridiculously smooth with well integrated tannins.