Carlos Lucas Ribeiro Santo Excellence Grande Escolha 2018 – Dão

The nose is dense, fleshy and spicy, very aromatic. It expresses pronounced notes of sweet spices (vanilla, even a touch of cinnamon, liquorice with a very slight touch of star anise, cloves) and roasted notes (chocolate, coffee with milk), tertiary nuances (tobacco, undergrowth, faded rose), as well as a juicy and concentrated fruitiness (wooden strawberry, crushed raspberry, black plum, red plum, crushed blackcurrant) and menthol notes (dried peppermint, menthol). The palate is chiseled and tangy, with a juicy and concentrated attack, with expressive notes of tangy fruits (tart red cherry, crushed raspberry, black plum, crushed blackcurrant, cranberry juice). In the mid-palate we find tertiary touches (faded rose, undergrowth) and some spiciness (liquorice, a hint of star anise, clove). The finish is quite persistent and offers good bitterness and salivating acidity, as well as slightly more expressive tertiary and toasted hints. A chiseled, tangy and lively wine, with nice complexity.