WTN: Porca De Murça Reserva Tinto 2004

DOC Douro
A blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Francesa.

Very dark purple in the glass.

Light nose of hazelnut coffee-mocha, roasted, tarry.

Very weighty and full in the mouth, chocolate, tarry, juicy plums, black cherry and cranberry, lots of spices, thick, quite tangy toward the end.

With time, the wine also showed a bit of shrillness and alcohol heat on the end.

A tangy, drying finish.

Purchased at $19.95 (Canadian).

My wife and I have enjoyed the white version of this wine many times, but this is, I believe, the first time we have tried the red. Rather impressive.

I have not come across too many blends with Francesa. Research time at Doris Ranch!

Touriga Francesa / Touriga Franca / Tinta da Barca (Douro) – Touriga Francesa grape is an early maturing variety that grows in average-sized clusters. Also indigenous to Portugal, the Touriga Francesa is related to the Touriga Nacional vine, though more fragile. The wines these two varieties yield are similar in character, but Touriga Francesa is of slightly lesser concentration and color and shows greater suppleness and elegance. Of moderate vigor and low productivity, it thrives in the hot soils of the Douro Valley’s lower, relatively fertile, slopes where it is protected from wind. Though the grapes are thick-skinned the bunches are delicate, and the fruit may not mature fully in very dry years if planted in arid soils. Very high in tannin and extremely highly scented, it is an important contributor of structure and balance. It shows an intense perfume of fresh red fruit, earth and flowers, and its overt fruitiness is repeated on the palate, preserving a marked grape quality in the wine as it ages. At 21%, it is the most widely planted of the port producing region’s vines.