Elisa Freire Lobo is kind of a big deal. This talented vigneron was not only born in the Dao region of Portugal, she was the DOC's first female winemaker.
Today, she is regarded as one of the best vignerons in the country and her Vigno Dao Tinto is one of the best sub-$15 reds we sell. Here's a wine that combines the silky and lush texture of Pinot Noir with some of the more savory and complex elements of a Syrah.
It comes as no surprise to me that many top wine publications have called this one of the top red wine values in the world. You wont' get an argument from me!
The Dao region of Central Portugal is undoubtedly where some of the country's finest, non-liqueur reds come from. Being that she was born there, Elisa has an intimate and intuitive knowledge of the land, the grapes, and the idiosyncrasies of this mountain-surrounded zone. She trained with many of the top vignerons of the Dao before taking over her family's vineyards in 2010.
These days, she and her trusty fleet of goats farm the family vineyards without chemicals, but Elisa chooses not to go through the bureaucratic process of getting organic certification. She works entirely with native grapes, hand harvests everything, ferments with native yeasts, and adds minimal sulfur to her finished wines.
This is truly artisanal methodology in the vineyards and the cellar, and it's amazing that this wine costs less than $15!
Freire Lobo's Vigno Dao Tinto is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Jaen, and Alfrocheiro fermented with whole clusters, and brought up in a mix of neutral oak and tank. It is that rare, value-priced red that offers both purity, deliciousness, and complexity in equal parts. Medium-bodied, silky, and sensual, it shows beautiful notes of strawberry, dark cherry, pink peppercorn, violet, and mineral.
There is a definite level of class and sophistication you just don't find in most reds in this price range. It works well with a range of foods -- think pizza, roast chicken, mushroom pasta, and pork tenderloin. No food needed though, this is a terrific house red!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
