Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2003

An amazing red wine, though very, very young. Dark purple in color, going to the extreme of being almost inky black. Plum, currant, spice and cedar on the nose, there were also powerful tannins on the palate. The wine transitioned smoothly from midpalate to aftertaste, which lingered. This reminded me of a young Californian Cabernet Sauvignon even though it was made from native Portuguese grapes (e.g., Touriga Nacional). Truly exceptional, and worth cellaring for at least another year. Four and a half out of five stars (the only reason it did not get five stars was because it's $60 a bottle).