At a glance

Producer

Wine & Soul

Region

Douro, Portugal

Grape variety

Field blend (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francisca, others)

Wine type

Red

Body

Full-bodied and Smooth

Sweetness

Dry

Typical price

$25-38 USD

Tasting profile

Complex, with mature black and red fruits (plum, cherry), forest floor, dried violets, gentle spice, gravelly minerality, and hints of evolved leather/licorice.

Evolution: Primary fruit now secondary/tertiary; more earthy and savory notes, balanced oak integration, tannins rounded.

At peak: At/just past peak, with best bottles still holding both fruit and complexity; future bottles will likely show further earthy/woody evolution.

Structure

Acidity

Medium to medium-plus, preserving balance into maturity.

Tannins

Moderate, finely grained, integrated after a decade.

Alcohol

13.5%-14% ABV (typical for Douro reds)

Aging potential

Able to age 8-12 years from vintage; current bottles should be consumed soon for best profile.

Drinking window

Peak drinking

2020 to 2037

Optimal window

2017 to 2040

Current status

Ready to drink

Current condition

Sound, but evolution is advancing; tertiary notes may now be evident. Still pleasurable if well stored, though freshness has begun to fade. Drink soon.

The wine was intended for medium-term aging and hit its stride around 2017-2021. At 10+ years, earlier freshness recedes while complexity and soft tannins remain. Bottles well stored will still show balance, but further aging will shift profile toward savory/tertiary nuance.

Food pairing

Roast lamb with herbs, grilled pork, earthy mushroom dishes, aged sheep’s cheese (Queijo da Serra).

Serving

Decant

Yes (30 minutes) — The wine has moderate tannins that are integrated after a decade, and decanting will help to enhance its aromas and flavors by allowing it to breathe.

Sustainability

Sustainability score: 7/10

Small, independent estate focused on traditional Douro field blends. Use of low-impact viticulture: hand harvesting, minimal synthetic inputs, focus on soil vitality with cover crops. Winery operations in historic stone lagares, minimal intervention winemaking, lightweight bottles for Douro exports.

While not certified organic or biodynamic in 2012, Wine & Soul is recognized for environmentally conscious practices: sustainable farming on historic, dry-farmed Douro schist soils, hand work, low intervention, and relatively light packaging. Carbon impact arises mainly from export distance, but overall the estate aligns with new-wave Douro sustainability principles. Environmental stewardship is evident though formal certifications lagged behind practice at the time. Estimated sustainability score: 7/10.