2015 Colossal Reserva Red Wine

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've decided to open a wine I bought at Costco recently that hails from Portugal.  I know I have at least one bottle of Portuguese wine in my cellar, but this one was such a bargain at $9, I couldn't resist (mental note, this could be a nice wine club selection).  The wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional (30%), Syrah (30%), Tinta Roriz (30%) and Alicante Bouschet (10%).  There are some unfamiliar names on those varietals, so let's get some education out of the way.  Touriga Nacional is known as one of the signature grapes of Portugal, characterized by small berries with high tannins, which typically adds structure to the wine.  It's been more used for port, but is becoming more common in table wine.  Tinta Roriz is the name for Tempranillo on the Portuguese side of the border.  And Alicante Bouschet is an interesting varietal (I reviewed one quite some time ago from Coppola here) that adds a lot of color and body as well as some jammy fruit.  So enough learning, time for drinking!

The wine is a lovely inky red color in the glass, a hat tip to the Alicante Bouschet in the blend.  The nose presents some delicate floral aromas intermingled with a peppery spice, but very little fruit.  The taste is just a complete 180, with a quick blast of ripe red fruit, cherry, raspberry and plum that transitions quickly to some wonderful earthy grass, basalt and tobacco notes midpalate.  The finish is exceptionally dry and smooth, with the big tannins of the Touriga Nacional providing the nice structure and big, velvety mouthfeel.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's such an interesting blend that defies the stereotypes of red blends.  It's a wonderful combination of great flavor with solid structure that make it a great steak wine, whether grilled steak, braised short rib tacos or a traditional roast, this is an ideal meat wine.  Tonight I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled prime ribcap, big honkin' baked potato with all the fixin's and some steamed sugar snaps.  Cheers!