Boas Quintas Opta Dão Rosé 2014 Dão, Portugal 75cl

Boas Quintas is a family winery in the Dão, one of Portugal’s oldest wine regions, working granite soils at altitude. Its Opta range is the more approachable, everyday line, and this rosé is made in a fresh, fruit-driven style by winemaker Nuno Cancela de Abreu.

The blend brings together Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz, the same native grapes behind the region’s reds. The bright colour comes from around six hours of skin contact, after which only the free-run juice is used and fermented without oak, so the natural red-berry character stays clean and vivid. It is a bolder, more saturated style than the fashionable pale pinks.

Altitude and granite are the key to the Dão’s freshness, and they show clearly in a rosé, holding acidity and keeping the fruit lively. Most rosé of this style is built for drinking within a year or two, so this 2014 is best approached as a mature, savoury example rather than a bright young pink, one for the curious drinker rather than the poolside.

Expect red berry fruit, a touch of wild strawberry and a tight, dry structure with crisp acidity. There is no oak to get in the way, so the fruit and freshness lead, and the finish is clean and gently savoury with age.

If you like dry, food-friendly rosés with more grip and colour than a pale Provencal style, this is a characterful alternative from a classic Portuguese region. Serve it well chilled with salads, grilled fish, charcuterie, tapas or lighter summer plates.