Just one mountain’s width away from the Douro River, The Dão remains firmly out of the limelight. To hear Alvaro and his daughter Maria Castro tell it, this is a mistake, because in their eyes looking out over the granite-laced vineyards of Quinta de Saes, this is the finest wine country in Iberia. The Dão is protected from heat to the east and north by mountains, and exposed to cool Atlantic air that manage to reach here about an hour’s drive from the shore. Despite the lack of company, Alvaro and Maria have made a name for themselves and the Dão with their resolutely local wine. Using only native grapes (One quarter each Touriga Naçional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, and Tinta Pinheira) in large, used oak barrels, there’s no trace of the ‘international’ style that afflicts so much Portuguese wine. The nose is a font of Cassis, black cherry fruit leather, boysenberry, granite and cocoa. The palate is elegantly smooth and filled with all the fruits of the forest, a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange bitters. A dusting of stone minerality lingers on the finish. Bring this to any gathering where charcuterie is available, pork, or paella featuring chorizo or chicken.