Elisa Freire Lobo is kind of a big deal. Born in Portugal's Dão region, she became the DOC's first female winemaker and is now regarded as one of the country's top vignerons.
Her Vigno Dão Tinto is also one of the best reds under $15 that we sell. I tasted the new vintage with my sales rep last week and immediately pounced. This is a terrific wine, combining the silky, lush texture of Pinot Noir with some of the savory complexity of Syrah.
It's on sale for just $11.99/bottle, 20% off the regular price of $14.99. No six-pack required, and no further discounts apply. Just a great deal on a wine I love.
Freire Lobo took over her family's vineyards in 2010 after training with some of the Dão's top vignerons. Today, she and her trusty fleet of goats farm without chemicals, though she chooses not to pursue organic certification. Everything is hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts, and finished with minimal sulfur.
The Dão is one of Portugal's oldest and most important red wine regions, often called the "Burgundy of Portugal." Elisa's wine is a terrific expression of place, and it really does scratch that Burgundy itch for me.
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Jaen, and Alfrocheiro, fermented with whole clusters and raised in neutral oak and tank, this is medium-bodied, silky, and and surprisingly complex. Pretty Pinot Noir-like notes of strawberry and dark cherry mingle with Syrah-like nuances of pink peppercorn, violet, and mineral.
This is the kind of wine that makes you shake your head at the price. At $11.99, it's almost ridiculous, and I'm not surprised that it consistently garners 90+ point scores.
Stock up while it's on sale for 20% off by-the-bottle!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
