Rising easterly out of Porto, the Douro Valley is most famous for its fortified wines but a range of winemakers are doing very exciting things with dry reds and whites. The Prazo de Roriz 2017 is one such success story, characterised by a melange of attractive red fruits, including raspberries and red cherry, upheld by a pleasant mineral verve with notes of black pepper and spice. This is serious stuff and shows why Portugal is one of the great hidden gems in the wine world.
"The 2017 Prazo de Roriz from the port-making vineyards of the Douro Valley has an impeccable pedigree, being part of the joint project between the Symington family (owners of such fabled port houses as Cockburn’s, Dow’s, Graham’s, Warre’s) and Bruno Prats (of Ch. Cos d’Estournel fame). It’s fresh and fruity with great depth and intensity, as you might expect given that the grapes used are those that make the finest ports." Jonathan Ray, The Spectator