J. Cabral Almeida Dao Tinto Musgo Field Blend Tinto 2018 750 ML

The 2018 Tinto Musgo Field Blend is made of typical grapes of the region, like Touriga Nacional and Jaen, all aged for 10 months in a 60/40 mixture of well used French oak and stainless steel. It comes in at 12.8% alcohol. If you're looking for a nice value slot in the lineup, this is certainly a good place to start. A bit tight on the finish, this pure, fresh and vigorous blend is a lovely bargain. The freshness is wonderful, giving this a very sunny feel. The acidity lifts the red fruit nuances and defines them. If it sometimes seems a bit too slight in the mid-palate—there's not a lot of fleshy or ripe fruit—the rest works very well. The structure here is certainly better than on the monovarietal Alfrocheiro at a fraction of the price, while the rest seems roughly in a similar style. One other key difference between the two, though, is that this is not quite as round. The Alfrocheiro is easier to drink today, even if the tannins here are not particularly hard. Overall, this seems built to age well for the rest of the decade, and it is a very nice buy if you like its crisp and pointed style