EAST COAST PALATE

After a week-long hiatus I'm back to the blog.  I admit I've had plenty of wine over the holidays.  I post reviews for some of the bottles that I really enjoyed, but for now, we move on to the wine of the day...

Periquita 2004 Reserva
This blend by José Maria da Fonseca comes from the Terras do Sado region in Portugal.  It has some berry and plum aromas that give way to more interesting smells like dusty basement and flowery perfume.  I think the perfume smell stems from the alcoholic blast that the nose brings, even though this wine weighs in at 13.5%.  The color is dark red with a transluscence that lets light shine through.  There are some particles floating around since this is an unfiltered wine, but the aromas are really pleasant and a little dirt won't hurt anyone.
There is an initial hit from the tannins that dry out the mouth, but then the flavors settle, the texture softens, and a plummy, strawberry quality brings this wine to life in the mouth.  There is an aftertaste that reminds me of Port, a kind of burnt molasses aspect.  That could be that the grapes are the same used in many Ports (Castelao, Touriga Nacional, and Touriga Franca), or it could be that the wine smells like it could be fortified.
Overall this isn't a big bodied wine.  It is smooth, with some complex aromas.  I picked it up for about $20 in a Montgomergy County liquor store.  I give it an A-, and I'm pleased with this Portuguese effort.  I'll be looking for more from José Maria da Fonseca