Today I am tasting the 2007 Vila Regia by Vinhos Sogrape from the Douro region of Portugal. This wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca grape varieties and was purchased for under $8. Hopefully this value style Portuguese red wine will show some interesting flavors and aromas. According to Vinhos Sogrape, this wine was not aged in oak. Thus it should show the true flavors of the grapes.
I’ve previously had the 2006 Vinhos Sogrape Douro Vila Regia.
Color
In the glass this wine is a dark garnet color.
Aroma
At first I get a big nose of blackberries from this wine. It also is showing some woody components (not oak), like the rotten branches in the woods in the winter. There is also a hint of mint. Overall it comes across as being a dark fruit driven nose. Not bad.
Flavor
The attack is sweet with loads of black cherry. In the mid-palate the fruit becomes dry and in the finish the tannins take over with a bit of smokiness and sour cherries. This is a medium-bodied wine suitable to drink immediately and pairs well with pasta.
Rating
For the price this is a good wine and I recommend you try it. It is an everyday wine to have with meals. I rate it 87 points. I found it less appealing than the 2006 vintage of this wine. Perhaps it reflects a change in my palate as I noticed my tasting notes are about the same, but I just wasn’t as excited about it as before.
How well does this wine match your palate? How does it compare to the Reserve?
