Domini Douro

Jose Maria da Fonseca Vinhos
Domini
Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz
Douro
Azeitao, Portugal2004
14%
$10.99 -- COSTCO, Austin, TX

Color: Medium to dark garnet (unfiltered)
Nose: Blackberry, pie crust, cigar
Body: Full
Front: Blackberry
Middle: Tobacco
Back: Gravelly tannins, rosemary
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

It's a bargain. Mature, structured, but rich, Domini made my evening. It packs a wallop, without being hot. It's tannic, for sure, but the fruit makes for an intriguing balance. Check this post for a fantastic food pairing which I only wish I'd been able to experience tonight. This evening, this wine was paired with reading contracts; it's almost impossible to pair a wine with contract-reading.

Vale do Bomfim Reserva

Vale do Bomfim
Reserva (Touriga N.; T. Roriz; Barroca)
Douro, Portugal
2004
14%
$9.99 -- Chapel Hill, NC

Color: Deep cherry red
Nose: Caramel and berries (put it in a relatively narrow-mouthed glass)
Body: Medium to heavy
Front: Tart berries
Middle: Tannins, spice, moss
Back: Leather, wood
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is not the sort of wine, in terms of tastes or structure, that I expect from this region of Portugal. I don't know what's going on, but it's good. This is one of the most complex wines I've tasted at this price; it's got distinct stages of development in the mouth that get more distinct the longer it's open. The aroma is lush, almost Australian, but the tastes are subtle old-world Iberian leather, spice, and wood, with occasional patches of violets bursting through. It's stellar with anything salty and I wish to Allah I had some chorizo to go with it. It should be good in the cellar for awhile, I'd think.