Portugal has a long history of producing fine wine.  Admittedly for most wine drinkers, it’s the legendary reputation of their fortified Porto wines that deservedly garners much of the focus.  Fortified wines are those made with the addition of a little brandy during the winemaking process; necessary to prevent the wines from spoilage during an age where wooden ships were the most expedient way of travelling from point A to B.

Yet the Douro region, the place of origin for those great Ports, is also home to a growing number of dry red wines (called Tintos) that are terrific in their own right.  These unfortified versions are perfect for everyday enjoyment and a great match with grilled meats or a little Stilton cheese!

It’s been a little while since we’ve announced any new arrivals from the Douro at ABCFWS, so here’s the skinny on the newest releases currently in our inventory:

Two of these new arrivals are from Prats & Symington, as in Bruno Prats, former owner of Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux and the Symington Family, historical producers of great Porto marques like Cockburn’s , Dow’s, Graham’s and Warre’s.  Back in 2000, the Prats & Symington collaboration unveiled the first release of Chryseia, a highly regarded limited production dry Douro red.

Prats & Symington Post Scriptum ($24.99) is essentially the second wine of Chryseia, made with fruit sourced from P&S’s Quinta da Perdiz estate.  It’s a blend of mostly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca with small portions of Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz.  The 2011 received a 90-point rating from Wine Advocate.

When the Symington family added Quinta do Roriz to their Porto portfolio in 2009, they also turned to Bruno Prats to produce a Douro Tinto from their new acquisition.  The result was Prazo do Roriz ($15.99), a supple, flavorful red comprised of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francesa, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional.

Last but hardly least, from the venerable Dow’s estate is Vale do Bomfim ($11.99) another fresh Douro red (mostly Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional) that will pair quite well with a juicy, mid-rare cheeseburger with grilled onions (I test drove this combination last weekend).

Jim Greeley, SW FL wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @ABCWineJimG