Unexpected Reds

I covered whites from more red-known regions here and unique pinks here , so time to get on with some reds. Some are from regions/countries known more for whites. Some are just not in the red pantheon they possibly could be…skip to the end for my shower red! NOT PORTS FROM PORTUGAL Not that there’s anything wrong with the Ports. But…Portugal makes some fabulous dry reds, often with grapes you rarely see outside the country. 2020 Prats & Symington Chryseia Douro 70% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca Light in body, heady in aromatics. Integrated but slightly granular tannins. Cranberries. Gorgeously spiced from a little bit further west in the Douro where it’s less hot AND north facing—both factors yield less ripe and higher acid grapes. Although, 2020 was hot and dry there, so you get great balance in this bad boy. 2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Red 45% Alicante Bouchet—oooh, a teinturier—plus 30% Syrah (which makes its presence known in smoky, meaty notes) and 25% Alfrocheiro…omg, Portuguese varieties! Hearty wine, textured without being, say, thick. There’s a bit of raisination on the nose countered by salinity, a little licorice and a lot of smoked meat. On the palate, it keeps on with that contrast, being heady but also vibrant. There’s some silky chocolate vibes underneath it all. A delight for dinner, but you can sip it solo if you so choose. A COUPLE OF ITALIAN REDS TO LEARN We all know Nebbiolo , Barbera and Sangiovese . Some are even acquainted with Aglianico or Primitivo …well, here are two more to add to the list. Both are quite different, both indelibly Italian. 2022 Alois Lageder Schiava Alto Adige Alto Adige! It lies in the very north of Italy. Schiava is the grape. Quite an alive wine, slightly prickling on the tongue! More natty skewing: Biodynamic, made from organic grapes, the label warning of potential turbidity, carbonic acid, or tartrates. Also, VERY pleasingly, it comes in a lightweight glass bottle—much more friendly than those heavy big baller bottles. Schiava is known for its chillable red ways: lightweight and lithe but with pleasingly lingering tannins—not quite velvety but almost. Lots of red fruits, some herbs, a bit of violets, finishing with plum jam. Glug-tastic. 2020 Garofoli Piancarda Rosso Conero DOC Conero is a region in the Marche. Montepulciano is the grape! Not to be confused with Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, which is Sangiovese made in Tuscany. Oof, Italy. Anyway, THIS wine is a happy agreement between rusticity and Italianismo (a new word I just made up—it describes the talent of Italian wines to be indelibly Italian). The nose is somehow tart and soothing, bringing blood orange juice vibes and lavender undercurrents to the party. The palate has slightly rough-hewn tannins, not elegant but comfortably rough—wait, is “comfortably rough” another way of saying rustic? The alcohol is a bit high but in a way that I find soothing, like a martini to warm you up at a party. Somehow, this wine pulls off rustic notes in a thoroughly pleasing way. I’m not doing this justice. It finishes slightly savory and bloody but also blood orange-y with earth, almost metallic earth coursing through. I feel like I like this wine way more than I surmised I would at first sip. The more I get to know its ways, the more they charm me. PINOTS FROM SAUVIGNON BLANC-LANDS If there is one grape people think of being from New Zealand, it’s Sauvignon Blanc. And what of Sancerre, that Loire darling? It’s mostly known for Sauvignon Blanc to boot, but it makes great rosés and reds from Pinot Noir. 2018 Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir Clearly, New World and there is not a thing wrong with it—it’s light and lithe, but the palate packs a punch. That’s all the alliteration today, folks. Black cherries say hello before red, allspice, clove, smoke and dried grapevines punch in for work afterward. So much flavor to a lissome body. Slightly prickly and alive. Into it. 2019 J de Villebois Sancerre Rouge Deeply hued, almost more like a black cherry than a red one. Spicy nose, a little floral. Even more so on the palate—some licorice violet vibes and even an amaro-y note. I get a rave from this one. This Sancerre wants to party—light enough to keep going all night but with a heavy enough beat to motivate another sip. Fine-grained tannins. Yay. MORE NZ REDS! Andddd there’s more to New Zealand red than Pinot—they are also making some pretty cool Syrah, particularly out of the North Island’s region of Hawke’s Bay. 2020 Smith & Sheth CRU Heretaunga Syrah Smells peppery and blueberry-y up top. Juicy and fresh and rousing. Dry, velvety AF tannins. Wow. Love the tannic structure on this. It veers into lavender-infused blueberry jam and a touch of tobacco and thyme, too. It’s fantastic. The finish brings a tiny hint of licorice or anise, still with the blueberries. Holy heck, I love this wine. So, of all these reds, what’s my pick for relaxing under the spray? Which has become slightly less relaxing yet a hundred times cuter since I acquired a cat obsessed with running water—I’m dodging his paws punching at the curtain and sneaking into the water and at the same time delighting in how adorable my water-curious feline is but…oh yes, the wine. While making sure the cat doesn’t tear down the curtain, I’d choose the Smith & Sheth Syrah. It is lively enough to not make me sleepy in the heat but brambly enough to induce those deep thoughts only shower steam can inspire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Want to read more from Ellen? Check out her recent articles: Finding Pleasure in Puglia Black Cat Wines, Black Cat Vineyards Old World vs. New World: Pinot Grigio/Gris Santa Cruz: Something New Back to School Wines 101 For Everyone Who Texts Me: Trader Joe’s Picks, You’re Welcome You can also listen to Ellen's podcast , The Wine Situation here . Check out her recent transcripts of the Final Five questions: Wine Situation Final Five! Ellie Anest Wine Situation Final Five! Morét Brealynn