94 Pts Wine & Spirits

"This is a new wine from Mateus Nicolau de Almeida, whose grandfather created Barca Velha for Ferreira and whose father runs Ramos Pinto. The young Nicolau de Almeida’s best wines are anything but traditional; this one is tinto cao (93 percent) cofermented with rabigato then aged for three years in old barrels. He uses the acidity of the white grapes to make "a rail" for tinto cao, a variety he describes as thick-skinned, small-berried and well adapted to the heat. Cisne may be his most creative take on Douro fruit and rock, a rich, earthy red wine with detailed scents of rosemary, sage, crushed flowers and sour plums. It’s savory, with hard black tannins that carry the sun and schist long into memory, the flavors lasting for minutes. Restrained in style, this will age with grace." Reviewed April 2014

91 Pts Wine Enthusiast

"This is a new wine brand from Muxagat. It shows a strong, perfumed character along with tight minerality. Bitter chocolate suggests some extraction, giving a wine with firm structure. At the same time, the juicy black currant fruits are deliciously ripe and rich. Drink this wine from 2016." Reviewed April 2014