Evel - Everyday Affordability
Real Companhia Velha is the oldest wine company in Portugal operating without interruption since 1756. Based in the famous Douro River valley, this unique region is characterized by a landscape of breathtaking beauty with steep vineyards planted on traditional terraces called patamares. The Douro valley is an extremely rugged terrain, bordered by mountain ranges to the south and west and plateaus to the north and east. The climate is characterized by cold, rainy winters, followed by very hot, dry summers. While initial wine production was based on fortified Port wines, nowadays there is a significant table wine production. The transition was quite seamless since the same varieties of Touriga National, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, used in Port, are ideal for quality red wine production. Evel, one of Portugal’s top brands, trademarked in 1913, is a blend of these very same varieties. Eight to ten months of aging in French barriques have imparted more structure and aging ability to the wine. Bright with a deep ruby color, notes of very ripe fruits, complex herbal nuances typical of the region, combine with light touches of vanilla stemming from the aging in wood. A softness on the palate, with excellent structure and gentle tannins, provides a fruit-driven, persistent finish. The retail price of $14.95 is most attractive providing complexity at everyday affordability. Asdo is the Portuguese word for roast or barbeque. Need we say more.