Oscar’s Organic Red

The 2019 Oscar’s Red Organic is a 61/39 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, partly (only 10% of the juice) aged for 10 months in used French oak. It comes in at 14.7% alcohol. This is the debut release of this organic brand, sourced from Quinta do Trovisca. This is a very different wine than the regular Oscar’s, with more than a point extra of alcohol and a different blend. So, don’t expect it to be just an organic version. This has a lot more stuffing, more intensity of fruit flavor, and it’s just a bigger wine. The tannins are still very ripe, so you can approach this now. It is very soft, perhaps to a fault. As ripe as the fruit is, it doesn’t project a jammy mouthfeel. It still feels elegant, although it certainly lacks the silky freshness of the regular Oscar’s. Overall, this is nicely done. The only remaining question is whether it can age a bit and improve. There, I have some doubts. While I think this is the better wine to some extent, in casual summer circumstances I can certainly see why many (perhaps including me) would prefer the regular Oscar’s at a given moment for its freshness. It is more a matter of style than quality. June 2021.