2007 Vinhao, Vinho Verde, Ponte de Lima:
Intrigued by Jamie Goode's post on Wine Anorak about red Vinho Verde made from the teinturier grape Vinhao, I kept my eyes open for one of these on my last trip to Newark's Portuguese Ironbound neighborhood. While I couldn't find the producer he praised, Afros, I did find a few and settled on the most 'expensive', this one made by a cooperative and costing all of $9. Has anyone seen the Afros wines in the US - if the shops in Newark don't carry it I suspect it doesn't make it over here?
Color, is inky black with some magenta edging. A bit of purple foam floats on the top from the light carbonation. Nose is like freshly fermented grapes with a whiff of horses and leather. On the palate it is lightly prickly and sharp, while at the same time full of black currant / raspberry fruit. Some of that leathery quality comes through too, and the whole impresion is very unique. Certainly not for everyone, but it is nice to have one's palate shaken up from time to time by something outside the normal bounds. Gave a taste to a usually adventurous friend who found one gulp to be enough, so YMMV. Evoked distant memories of Giaccobazi Lambrusco crossed with something from the northern Rhone, if that makes sense. Certainly a step above the regular red Vinho Verdes.
Nice packaging for a $9 bottle, with a nice fat cork, 11% abv. Also has a fair amount of sediment, which may be mostly tartrates.