Drink: Duque de Viseu Dâo 2008 (15.20$) Review

Name: Duque de Viseu Dâo 2008
Price: 15.20

Quick Sum Up: Flavourful, Smooth, a great value

Full Review: I was never a fan of Portuguese wine until I went to Portugal. Prior to my visit, I thought of Portuguese wine as clunky and tannin heavy. I drank very little white wine when I was there but I imbibed plenty of red wine (and port) daily. Not sure if it was the wonderful meals with amazing company that accompanied my wine or simply daily repetition (wink, wink) but by the time I came home, I was convinced that Portuguese wines are some of the best deals out there. Wine in Portugal was extremely affordable; it's actually cheaper than bottled water! I came to the conclusion that Portuguese wine should be cost effective and full bodied, or cheap and cheerful as they say! Aside from the private importation at Ferreira restaurant, I was never able to locate any of the wines I tried there so over the last few years I have assigned myself the pleasant task of tasting numerous Portuguese wines to discover new favourites.

Duque de Viseu is a label I have tried many times, and it is available at practically every SAQ in Quebec. There are plenty of cheaper Portuguese wines to be sure, but at 15.20 it's still a great value. I found it to be a full bodied wine with a full mouth-feel, something I come to expect when I taste a Portuguese red. I would characterize it as having a medium finish, with a more fruity than spicy flavour. Most importantly (to me), I considered the tannin to be very well balanced. All in all, a good price point for a balanced wine. I would recommend this wine if you like a full flavour that can compete with pizza, pasta or a charcuterie/cheese plate. It's not for someone looking for subtlety but I wouldn't call it clumsy either.

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Additional Information from SAQ

Tasting Notes from SAQ: This dry purplish red coloured wine features medium woody, empyreumatic, spicy, floral and fruity scents and offers a broad texture as well as smooth tannins.

Food pairing from SAQ: beef, braised. mushroom sauce. pork, grilled. Pasta, al dente sundried tomato pesto

Additional Information from SAQ:

• Wine family: Dry, medium-bodied and fruity
• Country: Portugal
• Region: Beiras
• Appellation: Dâo
• Producer: Sogrape Vinhos SA
• Alcoholic strength: 12.5 %
• Acidity: Refreshing
• Intensity: Medium
• Persistance: Medium
• Body: Medium-bodied
• Tannins: Smooth
• Texture: Broad
• Sugar: Dry
• Taste family(ies): Woody, Empyreumatic, Fruity, Spicy, Floral