Maçanita Vinhos Maçanita Letra F 2023 750ml

The red blend 2023 Letra F comes from old vineyards classified with the letter "F" for the production of Port, the lowest grading, but nowadays possibly the best for table wines. They have identified up to 87 different grape varieties, red and white, and used up to 15% white grapes for this wine and 30% full clusters for the fermentation and then aged the wine in stainless steel for one year. It has a bright ruby color and a nose of berries, fruit and lots of herbs. It's a little balsamic, with moderate ripeness, 12.5% alcohol and a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and vibrant flavors, very pleasant and easy to drink. 9,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2024.

Joana Maçanita makes this field blend from 70- to 110-year-old vines grown at altitudes that rise as high as 2,400 feet. The grapes are 70 percent red, 30 percent white, creating layered fruit with a rustic freshness. There’s an autumnal feel to the pumpkin-seed and purple plum-skin tannins, while the fruit itself is more red currants and strawberries in a crowd-pleasing style.