2019 Churchill's Estates Grafite Douro Tinta Roriz

Churchill's Port was the first Port house established in 50 years when John Graham founded it in 1981, naming it after his wife, Caroline Churchill. The Graham family has produced wine from the Douro Valley for over 200 years, and Churchill's continues that legacy with small-production, distinctive wines aimed at discerning drinkers.

Grafite Tinta Roriz is made exclusively from Tinta Roriz grapes — the Portuguese name for Tempranillo — grown on Churchill's Douro estates. The name Grafite acknowledges the winemakers' artistic signature in these hand-crafted wines. This is single-varietal Tinta Roriz at its purest: structured, bright, and wild.

The 2019 vintage shows a rich ruby hue and a full-bodied profile with vibrant acidity. Grapes are hand-picked into small boxes and carefully selected before crushing. Vinification takes place in small stainless steel tanks with a long, even fermentation ensuring aromatic and polyphenolic extraction. About 30% of the wine is aged for 12 months in both new and old French oak casks; the rest stays in stainless steel to preserve its fruity character.

Deep black cherry on the nose, wild and seductive with intense aromas of black pepper, dry spices, and menthol. Vinous and well-structured on the palate, with black cherries and dark chocolate. The tannins are integrated, the fruit intensity pronounced. Fleshy enough to be enjoyed on its own as an after-dinner wine, and ready to drink now — though it will continue to age well in bottle.

This is what Tinta Roriz does when it's grown on estate fruit and handled with care: it delivers structure, brightness, and character at a price that makes supermarket Douro taste like an afterthought.