~US$13, 52% Touriga Nacional, 16.5% Touriga Franca, 14% Tinta Barroca, 13.5% Tinta Roriz, 4% other, Douro, Portugal

Medium Ruby color. Ripe black fruits on the nose - plums, black cherries and blackberries along with a mild dried herbaceousness. Darker, portlike flavors make their presence known, but the wine is never heavy or cloying. The medium-bodied palate revealed vibrant acidity and surprisingly refined tannins. Black fruit gave way to a nice white pepper component reminiscent of southern Rhone varieties. Short and dry mineral-driven finish.

My overall impression was this tasted like the lovechild of a Priorat and a rustic Cotes-du-Rhone, but with a  lighter body. Very interesting and a fantastic value - probably my favorite sub$15 red wine in the past 4 weeks. Try the sweet-and-savory combo foods like Hawaiian pizza or Peking duck.

~$9-12US 100% Touriga Nacional, Beira, Portugal

WBW38: Non-Douro Portuguese Wine

I felt like the odds were against me on this winebloggingwednesday - The criteria got things down to a small selection set, so I gambled based on price and label design. I popped this and noticed an opaque deep aubergine color. But I only noticed it for a second before the aromas wafted up into my poor olfactory apparatus. Porta-potty on a hot day. Sewing machine oil. This creation smelled foul. Very little fruit or wood or wine or anything a nose likes. I figured I best let this funk blow over, so I let the glass sit and swirl occasionally for a few hours. It become approachable after about 2 hours. Not great, but better- most of the funk blew off leaving a celery and orange-pip nose, and sour cherry taste.

Actually, the more air it got, the better. At 3 hours it was drinking more like a farmhouse Beaujolais or a rustic Loire red than sewer-water; with vegetal notes and a brisk acidity. The funk actually of grew on me when it became a second-tier flavor (although the initial taste did almost made me gag).

Trying unique varietals like Touriga Nacional is what this hobby is all about. While this wine started out pretty dire, time in the decanter improved the overall experience, delivering a wine with complexity and character. Thank you WBW.