Deep ruby color; raspberry, dark cherry, spice on the nose; raspberry, cherry, pepper on the palate.
Dry; medium body. Blend of 35% touriga franca, 20% touriga nacional, 15% tinta roriz, 10% e misttura de castas—they can bring tannins to the table, and this benefits from decanting. This is slightly less rustic than the previous vintage, especially after decanting, which smooths the tannins. Average acidity (3.71). With decanting, evolves nicely into smooth, tasty, easy drinker in fact—as did the previous vintage. Expressive, ripe dark fruit. 14.5% ABV
Grapes are meticulously sorted, then fermented in stainless steel. Inoculation with selected yeast cultures. Gentle maceration to preserve freshness and fruitiness. Wine aged six months in small—106-gallon—French oak barrels. There is oak, but not oppressive. Vanilla and tobacco, too, from the barrel toast.
This is Prats & Symington’s third label to their highly acclaimed Chryseia product line. Chryseia means “golden” in Greek and Chryseia is one of the leading red table wines from the Douro. The Symington family is a major force in both Porto and the Douro—the Symingtons own the Porto houses of Dow, Graham, Warre, and others; they dominate the Porto market. The Prats are quality producers in Bordeaux, so this is a partnership (created in 1999) between heavy hitters in the Portuguese and French wine world. The winemakers for this effort were Bruno Prats and Charles Symington assisted by Pedro Correia.
P+S Prats & Symington Prazo de Roriz Douro DOC 2018 is an example of skilled winemakers and resilient grapes pulling off a winning wine story in a difficult vintage. As in the past, this is great QPR (quality-price ratio) wine. You can pay double for similar quality. Decanting improves this, and the wine evolves into a smooth, pleasing, easy drinker in the glass. Rich, bold wine that red wine lovers will enjoy. It is yet another example of how Portuguese wines punch way about their weight. Pair with barbecue; rich cuts of beef; lamb; pasta dishes; wild game. At its price point, goes well with pizza, comfort foods—meatloaf, cheeseburgers, pot roast. $14-19
