2017 José Maria da Fonseca Vinho Regional Alentejano José de Sousa, Portugal, Wine Review

This is a blend of 58% Grand Noir, 22% Trincadeira and 20% Aragonês (Tempranillo) made in amphora from Portugal. Purple/ruby in color, flat and partially opaque. The nose has some red fruit qualities with spice and tobacco. Light to medium bodied with lighter tannins. On the palate, a bit more alive. Tart cherries with a bit of a cough drop finish. I have had this wine before and it seems this wine or at least this bottle is just past prime at this point. Probably best to look for younger vintages as this is usually a nice wine and a great value.

Grade:

B-

Score:

Vintage:

2017

Current Price:

$19.00USD

Portugal's Alentejo Wine Region: One Region, Eight DOC Labels

Alentejo is Portugal's largest political region, encompassing about one-third of the country. It's also the least densely populated region in Portugal. About 10 percent of Alentejo is devoted to vineyards. Much of the rest is used for growing cereal grains and olives.

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Bartholomew Broadbent on Port, Madeira, and Great Quirky Wines from across the Globe

He's been named as one of the “fifty most influential people in the wine world" by Decanter Magazine . Bartholomew Broadbent The company he founded was nominated "Importer of the Year for 2005" by Wine Enthusiast . Prior to launching his own firm, he worked for a "Who's Who" list of the world's elite wine establishments with names like Harrod’s, Harvey’s Fine Wine Merchants, and Christie’s in London, the Rothbury Estate and Yalumba Winery in Australia, Hennessy and L’Academie du Vin in France, and Schenley in Canada, gracing his resumé. His work in Canada even resulted in the Canadian press labeling him the "Wayne Gretzky of Wine". He's widely considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on Port and Madeira. He's also credited for the growth of North American Port consumption during the mid 1980’s and was responsible for the re-introduction of Madeira to North America in 1989.

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Port Wine: Portugal's Douro Valley, Making Port Wine & the History of Port

Port is a fortified wine from the remote vineyards in Portugal's Douro Valley. Here, in the Douro Valley, time has almost stood still. You will not find the latest wine making techniques and fancy equipment. Instead, you will find a wine industry much the way it was over a hundred years ago. Yet, in spite of it, or because of it, vintage Port is one of the world's greatest wines. Port takes its name from the city of Oporto that is situated at the mouth of the 560-mile long Rio Douro or River of Gold. Although many port-style wines are made around the world – most notably Australia, South Africa and the United States – the strict usage of the terms Port or Porto refer only to wines produced in Portugal. It is these wines that we will explore here.

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2015 José Maria da Fonseca Alentejo José de Sousa, Portugal, Wine Review

Vintage:

2015

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$15.00USD

Portugal is a great source for value in the wine world. This wine provides exceptional value. It is a blend of 52% Grand Noir, 33% Trincadeira, 15% Aragonês fermented in clay amphorae. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. the nose is nice with black raspberries, baking spice, dates and slight chocolate.

Portugal's Ribatejo Wine Region: History, Grapes, & Wineries

Ribatejo is named for the banks of the Tejo (Tagus) River, which divides this wine region from northeast to southwest. This part of Portugal is known not only for wine but also for Lusitano horses and for Mertolengo cattle, both raised for use in Portuguese-style bullfighting. Ribatejo is Portugal's second-largest wine region, but the DO as a whole is still struggling to forge an identity.

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2017 José Maria da Fonseca Vinho Regional Alentejano José de Sousa, Portugal, Wine Review

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