The Apolónia wine festival is in full swing at the Almancil and Galé supermarkets with some great bargains to be had in all price ranges.
I visited last weekend and stocked up on a few of my favourite Portuguese and foreign wines and this Dão, reduced by 40% from €9.95 to €5.95 caught my eye.
The rather naff raffia packaging had put me off of trying this wine in the past but, loving Dão as I do, the price reduction sealed it.
You can’t judge a book by its cover as they say, but I suspect the packaging is the principal reason for this wine being discounted so deeply, as the contents of the bottle are worth every cent of the full price tag.
I could find no information on the grape varieties but recognised the traditional varieties of the region, especially Jaen with its soft tannins.
This is a medium-bodied wine in the style of most good Dão reds, with earthy notes on the nose and a nicely balanced mouthfeel with good acidity and a long finish.
This 2009 still has a good few years to reach its peak and benefited from decanting and being left to breathe for a few hours.
By PATRICK STUART [email protected]
