If you haven’t been drinking Portuguese wines, I dare you to try this wine, and not want to buy more!

This wine is a 50/50 blend of two indigenous Portuguese grapes – Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro.  The grapes are from one of Portugal’s most prominent wine regions, the Dão, located just south of the famous Douro Valley (home of Portugal’s most well-known wine – Port).  According to Winesearcher.com It has suffered from a bad reputation in the past but international wine media attention and improvements in production (and marketing) have helped the region to start shining. The top Dão wines are now some of the most highly rated in Europe, winning consistent praise on both sides of the Atlantic.

Color– inky Purple
Aroma – Aromatic black and red fruits, cacao, sandalwood, and an appealing hint of balsamic
Body Medium-bodied and juicy with vibrant acidity and velvety, well-integrated tannins
Taste– Plum, red currant black cherry, dark chocolate, and baking spices accented with hints of blueberry and graphite
Finish – Medium-long

Winemaker: Francisco Baptista |14% abv|SRP -$21|90 pts

At $21, this wine offer great quality for the price! If you don’t haven’t been drinking Portuguese wines, I dare you to try this wine, and not want to buy more!

Pair with:  We paired with meat lasagna, and it was a great pairing.  I’d pair with Mediterranean cuisine, or mild soft cheeses

About Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas

Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas (which translates to Full Moon in old vines) is a partnership between its three founders – João Silva e Sousa, Francisco Baptista and Manuel Dias.  The three have had a passionate connection to the Douro valley for more than two decades.

The started making wines in 2009 with white wines from Murça, an area forgotten by progress, but that produces unique terroir driven wines.  In 2010, work began on an investment in the winery in Martim, Douro, and in 2012, in the cradle of Alvarinho, Monção region. In 2013, a partnership was started in Alentejo, vinifying, in third-party facilities, the grapes chosen and acquired in the region of Estremoz. In 2017, Lua Cheia has extended its presence into other Portuguese wine region – Dão.

In  2014 they sold approximately 600,000 bottles from the 3 regions, with more than 50% of production exported to over 20 countries. The main objective of Lua Cheia is to make wines that show the essence of each region, using the lessons learned from the “Old World” winemaking; to discover and allow the terroir to express itself.

You will find examples of this in the white wines Andreza Códega do Larinho and Nostalgia Alvarinho, as well as in the new blends, such as Maria Papoila with Alvarinho and Loureiro. As well, in the blends such as Touriga Nacional with Touriga Franca, or “Field Blends” of old vines. The path of Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas was made and will be made by the learning, studying and searching for its own identity with exceptional relationship of price to quality.

In the Douro, Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas produces the brands “Lua Cheia”, “Andreza”, “Colleja” and “Secretum”; in the Vinho Verde region the brands “Salsus”, “Maria Bonita” and “Maria Papoila”; and in the sub-region of Monção/Melgaço brands “Toucas” and “Nostalgia” – 100% Alvarinho.  Wines from Alentejo are produced under the brand name “Album” and wine from Dão is produced under the brand name “Insurgente”. (Source)

Where to buy: The wine is imported by Costa Nova Wines,  and may be purchased on their website.

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