6OCT14 Roquette & Cazes RED BLEND, Douro Valley, Portugal 2019 (F, O)
4 an6 bottle level $30 (member price $27)
60% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz 14.5% ABV
Jorge Roquette (owner of Quinta do Crasto) and Jean-Michel Cazes (owner of Château Lynch Bages) founded their namesake winery in 2002 and produced their first vintage in 2006. The elegance of Bordeaux meets the power of Douro! They are blessed with two teams that are world class in both viticulture and viniculture, and the teams regular visit the sites. (Being a cynic, I wonder who “breaks the tie” when these talented teams disagree!) Aged 18 months in French oak barriques. Black currant, black cherry, red cherry, dark chocolate, anise, minerality. This 2019 vintage is still a baby, so consider laying it down for a few years.
Food Pairing Suggestions:
This powerful but graceful red packs a punch. Pair it with braised pork belly with mussels; spice-crusted roast lamb with garlic and rosemary oven roasted potatoes; seared venison loin with chocolate sauce; wild boar ribs with fig BBQ sauce; beef stew with mushrooms or with regional specialties such as braised goat, stewed rabbit, veal chops and saltcod “potato gratin”. After dinner enjoy a glass with regional cheeses like Castelo Branco or Queijo de Cabra Transmontano.