INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 WINE & SOUL DOURO 'MANOELLA' $21.99

A returning favorite from a vintage ago, further cementing the status of Portugal as a great source of wines other than their famed Ports. The growth and improvement of Portuguese wines over the last few decades has been partially through necessity, but also simply an improvement on the potential that has always been there. The light, crisp white wines of Vinho Verde and the fortified Port wines of the Douro are internationally known, and deservedly so as they are fantastic and distinctive. But diversity is important, and very few wine regions can survive being known for 'just' one type of wine (Champagne may be the one exception). Further upriver from the city of Porto, the Douro River is called the Duero in Spain, and their success with rich, modern styled reds have a very similar character to those now coming from many vineyards that once were devoted to Port. The great thing about these trends is that the change of focus still involves the native varieties that already existed. Nothing is being replanted, just re-purposed, so mature vineyards can quickly become the source for new wines full of flavor.

Built from the traditional base grapes for Port (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francisca), this pours a deep purple and is equally deep and dark on the nose, loaded with blackberries and dark spice, with hints of pepper and eucalyptus or cool mint as it opens up. The palate is equally substantial but surprisingly polished, silky even for it's youth, which helps bring out the dark fruit without astringency or getting into the sweeter flavor profiles. Those that like a wine with a bit more thickness and chest-thumping intensity may prefer a Ribera del Duero from further upstream, but this is impressively user friendly in what it delivers for the price, great as a nicer cookout option that doesn't need hours of decanting beforehand to be impressive.

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