It’s definitely  worth a tasting of  Portuguese red wines. As previously mentioned Portuguese wines are relatively undiscovered by Americans. In particular the Douro Valle,y long known for producing great port also produces fine wines.This past Memorial Day I spent with friends and had the pleasure of tasting a wonderful Portuguese wine; Prats & Symington Chryseia 2003, perfectly paired up to an expertly prepared flank steak  on the BBQ. P&S produces great wines in the Bordeaux style.

Tasting notes-Chryseia 2003: Wow, this wine was quite a surprise. Quite a little wine, or should one say quite a big wine.  A power house of a wine with loads of dark plum, cherry and chocolate on the nose This wine is definitely not your run of the mill Portuguese red wine. The Chryseia has a lot of finesse and elegance, like a French Bordeaux. Scored 92 points WA. On the palate big,bold and juicy.

The  P &S estate, Quinta de Perdiz, located in the Alto Douro, is envisioned to become a key source of grapes for the top-rated Chryseia table wine. In just its second vintage, in 2001, Chryseia ($40) scored 94 points on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale and earned a place among the Top 100 wines released in 2003. The Chryseia is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão. Not your average grape varietals known by most Americans


Post Scriptum 2006: Now, for those of you who want to spend a little less money on a great Portuguese wine, I suggest sampling the Post Scriptum 2006 from the same producer as the Chyseia. None the less, this is a great wine with loads of aromas of fruit up front; produced in the same Bordeaux style but for roughly half the price. On the palate subtle tannins, making for an age-worthy wine.

Cheers-Adrienne

Cocktails?