Quinta de Vale de Pios, “Excomungado”

Portugal will always occupy a special place in my heart. Some of you might know that my first wine job was in the Douro Valley, one of the most breathtaking winegrowing regions on Earth. But let me clear: It’s not sentiment that motivated today’s offer. Portugal in general, and the Douro in particular, is one of the most exciting wine destinations in the world right now. We’re seeing a tremendous amount of outstanding Portuguese wine come our way at prices that reflect the country’s yet-to-be-rediscovered status in our market. The Douro Valley, long famous for its Port wine production, has successfully pivoted to producing extraordinary dry reds from its wealth of native grapes—sumptuous reds like “Excomungado” from Quinta de Vale de Pios.This transformative bottle whisked me right back to the inimitable Douro landscape, where schist soils birth reds of amazing density and profound mineral character. There aren’t many bottles at this bargain price point that evoke this kind of emotion,