Tuesday, June 9, 2009

2007 Cerejeiras Regional Tinto

Prior to the Travessia wine tasting, I spent time checking the selection at Bin Ends, seeking some inexpensive, every day wines. With summer coming, I like to stock up on such wines, especially as I usually bring a bottle or two with me when I go to BBQs, parties or other summer get togethers. Bin Ends certainly had plenty of good choices and I quickly assembled a case of wine, including number of Spanish and Portuguese wines.

One of my choices was the 2007 Cerejeiras Regional Tinto ($5.60)! This had to be one of the most inexpensive wines in the store and the price was surely a compelling point. But, I also knew this was a Portuguese wine and have found many enjoyable from this country costing under $10. I might be more leery of a California or French at this price point, but with a Portuguese wine I had no qualms about buying it and taking a chance. And I was not disappointed.

The wine is from the Estremadura region of Portugal, not the more familiar Douro or Dao regions. Estremadura lies along the Atlantic coast and includes the capital city of Lisbon. The wine is a blend of Castelao, Aragonez, and Tinta Miuda. It is fermented and aged only in stainless steel and has an alcohol content of 12.5%. Thus there is no influence by oak, allowing only the fruit to shine.

The wine has a deep, purple color with a restrained nose of hints of dark berries and spice. It was not as aromatic as many other Portuguese wines I have tried so I was not sure how it would taste. But I was pleased with its flavors: ripe plum, black cherry, vanilla and intriguing spices. It had a rather unique taste, something I often associate with Portuguese wines. The tannins were moderate making it an easy-drinking wine with a fairly long finish.

I opened a bottle of this wine with my dinner, Shepherd's Pie, and it was a good pairing, especially with the burger. I think this would also make an excellent BBQ wine. It had plenty of character, especially at this price point. I highly recommend this wine as an excellent value. How can you go wrong when it costs under $6?

4 comments:

Dale Cruse said...

Rich, you had shepard's pie? I'm so surprised!

Seriously though, I bought this same wine from the same place you did. I haven't opened it yet but thanks to your writeup I look forward to exploring it!

Richard Auffrey said...

Shepherd's pie is great comfort food, plus it is inexpensive and you just have to heat it up. Like pizza but heartier. I buy it from J. Pace in Saugus (though they have several other stores around). They make it homemade, it costs less than $10, and easily feeds two people. :)

Jon said...

Sounds pretty legit! Do you know if there is anywhere online where this wine can be purchased?

Richard Auffrey said...

Sorry, I don't,but you could try a Google search.