TN: Villa Oeiras Carcavelos (Tinto) Cask Sample

[Eric Menchen]

This is not a Portugese table wine, but not a Port or Madeira either, so this seems the best place for this note.

Cask sample of the the 2014 blended and fortified red wine, with no barrel age, just stainless steel. Made with Castelão and Trincadeira (a.k.a. Tinta Amarela). This is not something sold commercially yet, neither in this form nor as a barrel aged product. They are producing it and aging it to potentially sell in the future.

More like a red Port than the white Carcavelos is to a white Port. It is also somewhat sherry-like, with dark fruit, oxidized fruit aromas, raisin, and fig. Intense in the mouth, not overly complex, but lots of fruit flavors, berry, blackberry, and spicy and warm too. Good tannins and medium acid. The potential is there, but right now this needs more.