Messias Grande Escolha red 2011 (Douro DOC), 14%. €16.30 Karwig Wines
Colour is an opaque purple and it has intense aromas, more or less the raisins and spices the winery itself mentions. In the mouth, the fruit is intense, some spice, silky smooth, tannins quite fine, with a dry and persistent finish. Very Highly Recommended.
This is a blend of traditional grape varieties: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Nacional.
Quinta do Valdoeiro red Reserva 2009 (Bairrada DOC), 14%, €19.20 Karwig Wines
Another gem from Messias, this from a different area and the blend here is the local Baga with Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, Very Highly Recommended.
It has a deep violet colour with complex aromas featuring mainly dark fruits. There is a superb supple structure, tannins are fine and the balance overall is excellent with an imposing length at the finish. Worth taking your time with this one; you'll appreciate it all the more.
Messias Porto LBV 2007, 19.5%, €21.85 Karwig Wines
Picked this up when I bought some Portuguese wines in Karwig’s and it turns out to be an excellent Late Bottled Vintage at a very good price indeed. Not one of the big names in port in Ireland but Very Highly Recommended. It is made from much the same grape varieties that go into the Grande Escolha above.
It is tawny colored as you'd expect, with a warm, rich and complex aroma with notes of dried fruit. It is satisfyingly full in the mouth, very smooth and finishes long. Well worth a try.
Messias was founded in 1926 and nowadays produces high quality wines from several demarcated regions: Dão, Bairrada, Douro, Vinho Verde, Beiras, Terras do Sado and Vinho do Porto.
Late Bottled Vintage, as the name suggests, is bottled later, remaining in wood between four and six years. All the fruit used is from that one year. During this relatively long period of wood ageing, an LBV matures and settles down.
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