Gandarada Boas Quintas Dao 2019

Gandarada, Boas Quintas, Dao, Portugal, 2019

Grapes: A blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz. Aged for six months in American oak barrels.

The Gandarada Dão is a supple, vibrant red wine which is medium in body. The freshness found in wines from Dão originates from the granite and sandy soils in which the vines are planted.

The dominant aromas are red cherries, violets, and a hint of fresh herbs and pepper. The palate is bright and fresh with good concentration of wild autumn fruits with a gently earthy spice, and a herbal lift. Good acidity and soft tannins combined with the elegant freshness, given from the stony soils, gives you a wine with balance and finesse.

"There’s sensational value to be had in this wine for fans of Dao -- though those who aren’t yet familiar with this granite-soiled zone of Northern Portugal should know that its pleasures are as much stern as playful. It’s dark black-purple in colour, with scents in which the sweet plummy freshness of youth meets something a little earthier and more brooding. The flavours, too, are neatly poised between sweet youth, searching acidity and intrinsic depth and extract, though hardness is deftly avoided here by wealth of fruit. The ensemble is hugely characterful, tight-sewn and deep; it’s a wine for food and for winter’s nights; and it would age very well for a few more years: true wine-lover’s wine."

97/100 points (Best in Show), Decanter World Wine Awards, 2021