Brett happens

Dão 2010, Tinta Roriz, Fonte de Gonçalvinho ($20.15, 12974531)
Another wine unmentioned on the producer’s and agent’s websites. 100% Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo). The grapes were destemmed and given extended maceration on the skins. Alcoholic fermentation took place in temperature-controlled (28°C) stainless steel tanks. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to second-fill American oak barrels for eight months’ maturation. Reducing sugar: 2.9 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinicolor.
Charred wood and dried ink with plum, black cherry, red meat, cola and cocoa in the background. Medium- to full-bodied, smooth and quite dry. The core of ripe red and black fruit is still vibrant, wrapped in soft tannins, aglow with acidity. As expected in a six-year-old wine, the oak has mostly retreated, shading more than colouring the fruit, except on the bitter-edged finish, where spice, ash and chocolate linger. Not bad but yet another example of heavy-handed oak treatment robbing the wine of freshness. (Buy again? Oak-allergic me? Probably not. But if you’re one of the many who like pronounced oak notes in their wine, go for it. You’ll want to hurry though: there’s not much left in the system.)