There is not one thing I don’t love about Portugal. To me, it’s one of the most complete countries to visit: a diversity of landscapes from mountains to seaside, beautiful, manageable cities with rich history, friendly people, delicious food and, of course, wine. While I am a fan of wines from all over the country—from Alentejo to Vinho Verde—the Douro Valley is a place that hold my heart. It is one of the most visually arresting places I’ve been, anchored by the river of the same name and the historic home of Port wine. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique and heroic winemaking tradition on centuries-old steeply terraced slopes.
In more modern times, Douro producers have revived a tradition of making non-fortified dry wines with impressive results. This pair of red blends wines is a collaboration of the Symington Family Estates and Bordeaux producer (Chateau Cos d’Estournel) Bruno Prats. Launched in 2000 as Chryseia (“golden” in ancient Greek) under the Prats & Symington label, this wine sources grapes from two venerated vineyards: Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz. The wine uses the grapes of Symington vineyards, but vinified with a Bordeaux influence. This is done in Quinta de Roriz, the winery specially built created for the venture.
As its name suggests, the Post Scriptum de Chryseia Douro 2022 is the second label of Chryseia, made from those grapes remaining from the top lots designated for the premium wine. Post Scriptum is made from Touriga Nacional (50%), Touriga Franca (40%) and the remainder Tinta Roriz. The wine is fermented in larger barrels for 12 months in second- and third-year oak. Deep, black- and red-fruit aromas lead to layers of concentrated but bright plum, cherry, wild blackberry and some black pepper spice. It’s very sleek, on the muscular side, but well balanced and softens up a bit with opening. This wine wants a place on the table with roasted meats such as lamb or game with rich sauces (SRP $32).
The 2022 Prazo de Roriz offers a more immediate delivery of bright red-fruit flavors of raspberries and cherries. In addition to the three flagship grapes, this blend adds Tinta Barroca and 20% of field blend varieties. This spent six months in 400-liter French oak, but it’s more of a nod and not a character that defines the wine. This is a bright, approachable wine made in a modern style, It leans into market-basket fruits such fresh, wild raspberries, and has a tart red-fruit note such as currant or pomegranate. You could have this with a charcuterie board, but it’s a perfect match in character and style to a casual one-pot meal, such as Chicken Normandy, braised in apple cider, or another such dish with sweet notes (SRP $19).