2016 Alto do Joa Tinto: 20 Grapes, Old Vines, & Amazing Value

As I've often said, you can find some amazing value wines in Portugal and during my recent trip to Portugal, the 2016 Alto do Joa Tinto (12 Euros) was one of my top discoveries.

During a snack break at a museum, we enjoyed some chestnut-based sweets and were served this wine, which is produced by Casa do Joa. The winery is located in a tiny village, Parada de Infanções, which only has about three hundred people and is situated only a few kilometers from Bragança. It is a tight-knit community and it is said that the "..wine does not belong to one person, but to a community of passionate villagers."

This wine is a field blend of 20 grapes, including Alvarelhão, Bastardo, Chasselas Suíça, Cornifesto, Dona Branca, Folgasão, Formosa, Jaen, Mourisco, and Tinta Amarela. The ungrafted vines are also over 120 years old, located at an altitude of about 700 meters. They co-ferment the best grapes, using a foot-treading wine press, and then age the wine for about two years in used French oak barrels. Bottled as a Vinho Regional Transmontano, it only has a 12.5% ABV, and I was told the bottle alone costs the winery 2 Euros.

With a dark red color, and an alluring nose, I was captivated by this wine from my first taste. It was elegant and silky smooth, with well-integrated tannins, good acidity, and a touch of rusticness. Its complex melange of flavors included ripe plum, black cherry, fig, dark spices, and a subtle earthiness.  A long and lingering finish that tantalized and satisfied. All of that for only about 12 Euros! It over delivers for the price and was pure pleasure on the palate. I could have sat for the rest of the afternoon just sipping this wine, reveling in its complexities. My highest recommendation. Unfortunately, I don't think this wine is available in the U.S.