Brett happens

Douro 2013, Cistus, Quinta do Vale da Perdiz ($12.80, 10841161)
Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo, 75%), Touriga Francesa (15%), Tinta Barroca (5%) and Touriga Nacional (5%). Fermented in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature. Twenty percent is matured in second- and third-fill barrels. Reducing sugar: 3.4 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: LBV International.
Typical but unexpectedly fresh nose of plum, wet slate, turned earth, black pepper and a hint of black cherry yogurt. In the mouth, it’s unexpectedly fluid, more of a middleweight than a heavyweight. The fruit, vivid and layered upfront, soon recedes, leaving a hollowing-out mouthful of inky minerals, old wood and faint alcohol fumes that gains a bitter cocoa note on the quick-fading finish. On the plus side, the tannins are supple, the acidity bright, the wine has a sense of place and it tastes like it came from a winery, not a factory. Not a coup de cœur, then, but if there’s a better red at this price point, I’d like to know about it. (Buy again? When the budget is tight, sure.)