Over the past few weeks, we’ve highlighted the table wine renaissance underway in Portugal. From lifted and textured whites to profoundly soulful reds, it’s evident Portugal can do it all. And today we crank it up a notch with Quinta do Pinto’s “Vinhos de Lasso Garrafeira Tinto” 2012, a bottle that proves these little-known regions can produce wines to age right alongside the world’s most famous appellations. Loaded with brooding dark fruit and humming with cedary spice, “Garrafeira Tinto” is now in its prime drinking window after a dozen years aging. It’s a window into so much that makes Portugal exciting–unsung regions, unknown varieties, and a frankly stunning combo of quality and value.  Despite costing less than $50, you can pour it alongside your most prized Bordeaux and Barolo and no one will bat an eye. “Garrafeira Tinto” will likely set you on the same quest for pitch-perfect Portuguese wines we’ve been on for months now. Grab a few bottles and join us in the journey!

You might say that the Alenquer region is hiding in plain sight. It doesn’t feature in most conversations around Portuguese wine, but it’s just minutes outside of Lisbon. Located just inland enough to be sheltered from the cold and damp Atlantic winds, Alenquer enjoys a long, steady growing season. Quinta do Pinto is especially well-positioned, perched in the foothills of the Montejunto mountain range, which blocks the autumn rains that plague other coastal regions. Thus, Quinta do Pinto sees less rot, and fruit can hang until it’s fully ripe. The varieties here are a mix of indigenous and international–Trincadeira and Arinto grow alongside Cab Sauv and Syrah–but “Garrafera Tinto” is composed entirely of varieties with centuries-long histories in the region. 

Quinta do Pinto is one of the major players in Alenquer. It’s a woman-run winery, headed by sisters Rita and Ana Cardoso Pinto. Their father António purchased the property only a few decades ago, but the vines and winemaking history of the estate stretch back over a hundred years. Under António’s and now the sisters’ guidance, the facilities were upgraded to include new barrel rooms and modern equipment. The vineyards have been certified by the Portuguese government as practicing “Produção Integrada” a system of farming wherein organic produce is grown with special respect for water and soil conservation. Now, Quinta do Pinto covers almost 60 hectares across a head spinning 27 varieties. The varieties in “Garrafeira Tinto” will be familiar to Rioja lovers:  Aragonez, or Tempranillo, makes up 40% of the blend, while Tinta Miúda (Graciano) claims 20%. The remainder of the blend is composed of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro, two red varieties you practically don’t see outside Portugal. 

For the 2012 “Garrafeira Tinto,” Quinta do Pinto handpicked all the fruit into small bins and fermented them spontaneously in concrete. The wine rested for 9 months in a mix of concrete and neutral barrels before bottling. Then the Cardoso Pinto family patiently waited eleven more years before they released it into the world. The results were worth the wait. It pours a deep purple with slight ruby bricking at the edges. The nose is a booming mass of dried blackberry, plum skin, dried violets, pulverized black cherry, sandalwood, leather, and cedar box. It’s dark and brooding–no mistaking the wine’s warm origins–but with beautiful lift and grace. On the palate, it’s medium-plus in body and what were obviously once very prominent tannins have softened considerably. There’s still plenty of grip, and the palate turns to more earthy tones among the dark purple fruit, but it’s focused rather than fatiguing. It’s a beautiful testament to this little corner of Portugal, a very special bottle at a shockingly good price. Don’t miss out!