Parker über:
Character Douro Red
-- Parker: The 2015 Pintas Character is a field blend (more than 30 different grapes but mostly Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional) aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. Not quite bottled when I first saw it, it is now in bottle and in the USA. It is a very different style than the regular Manoella this issue, its 'second wine' competitor (however, this is not a selection of lesser grapes or barrels, just a different terroir), but a big step up as they both show today. This is a great 'Character,' one of the producer's best yet. It has the structure and intensity of an upper-level bottling, plenty of depth and a big, gripping finish. It seems fairly pure and transparent too, for a wine of this type. This still has some developmental questions to answer in the cellar. If it has an issue, it could use more expressive fruit. That may come in time. In the meanwhile, it is very promising and a fine value. 92/100