♦ 2004 Tinto Cão ♦

Wine: 100% Tinto Cão
Vineyard: Pierce Ranch
Appellation: San Antonio Valley (Southwestern Monterey County)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Production: 82 cases

Tinto Cão translates as “red dog” in Portuguese. It is used in table wines and Ports in Portugal but is very rare in the U.S. In Portugal it is hardly ever bottled as a single varietal so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to try this grape variety by itself. As you can see when you try this one, Tinto Cão contributes the treble notes to wine blends. It is very delicately fruity and floral and has great complexity and subtlety even when quite young.

The grapes come from Pierce Ranch in a new appellation of southern Monterey County called San Antonio Valley. It is a newer grape growing area located in a high valley west of the lower Salinas Valley, near Lake San Antonio off of Jolon Road. It is a great climate for medium to warmer climate grape varieties because it gets good and hot for fully mature fruit flavors, yet has relatively cool nights because of elevation and some coastal influence.

The wine is an intriguing and complex mix of flowers and berries. It is very floral with aromas of wisteria and lavender. The fruit flavors are quite exotic and unlike those of any other red wine, but one can find hints of blueberries, strawberries, maybe even pomegranate too. It can go well with summer foods and lighter to medium fare because of its complex fruit and nice tartness.