Herdade do Esporao Quinta Dos Murças Minas 2018

The 2018 Minas is mostly a 40/30 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, with 10% each of Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Francisca, partly (60%) aged for nine months in well-used French oak. It comes in at 12.8% alcohol. A nice value, this isn't meant to be as concentrated and as powerful as some of the upper-level wines, but it has a wonderfully fresh and fruity feel. The freshness gives it a delightfully juicy finish. This lively red is quite nice this year. You can drink it right now, but it might be better in the spring of 2021. While it should hold reasonably well, it doesn't in all likelihood have the mid-palate concentration to reward extended aging, no matter how long it theoretically holds. It will be interesting to see if it can turn into anything more, though. I wouldn't be overly optimistic there, but it is worth leaning up today.

Earthy aromas lead into the palate of this dry wine from the Douro estate owned by Herdade do Esporão. It is balanced with juicy red fruits, soft tannins and the mineral structure that will allow the wine to age further. Drink from 2021.