2006 Quinta De la Rosa, Aguia

A relatively cool vintage, 2006 was not the year for big port-like wines in the Douro. Quite the reverse; Jorge Moreira, the gifted winemaker at La Rosa, has made a virtue out of a necessity and the resulting wine is pretty, wonderfully aromatic and softly approachable, not the qualities that one normally associates with grapes such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz. Strawberries, raspberries and white cherry lead the aromatics, soaring with an ethereal purity that recalls the eponymous eagle. The palate is soft yet with sufficient grip and structure to ensure successful pairing with meat or cheese dishes.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)