TN Douro "Rocha" Touriga Nacional 1999 - Hutcheson, Feuerheerd & Associados

Sep 11, 2004 3 Replies

Gregory at the Hyde Park Binny's, has been telling me to try Douros for a time. I tried a few in the $10 to $15 range, and while they were solid wines, they had neither big fruit nor complexity to rave about. I tried the Rocha, at around $15, because the Tauriga Nacional is the premier grape of the region.



Garnet to dark ruby color. Floral and slightly vegetal aromas. Decent acidity; blackcurrents and chocolate flavors, medium tannins, and the raisiny quality one gets from old style Italian reds (the bottle notes say "heavy maceration").



This isn't a super fruity wine; but I like it better than the 90 rated inexpensive Spanish and Southern Italian wines, since it is more than one dimensional, with some real depth and complexity.


Jim,

Was this a traditional red wine, or a Port? Feuerheerd does several Ports, though with the varietal listed (and it is one of the accepted Port varietals ), I assume that it was a dry red from that grape. I've not seen it, nor have I ever had the opportunity, but will be on the lookout.

Thanks, Hunt

This is a traditional wine (14% alcohol), aged in oak for 12 months. It has the body and chocolate flavors of a port, but is considerably dryer.

I've gone through the first bottle now, bought a case, and am still not sure how to describe it. Despite its complexity, the most striking thing about it is a meatyness and warm "comfort food" quality, so that it seems to me more like a Burgundy on steroids than anything else.

Thank you for the clarificaiton. I'll keep my eye out for it.

Hunt

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