The 2007 GRANDE RESERVA, Touriga Nacional dominated (60%) with 30% Tinta Roriz and 10% Touriga Franca is, like its Reserva counterpart in this vintage, probably a pretty good candidate for the best Portal has to offer in the brand. The winery had a very fine 2007 vintage. Exuberant and fresh, lovely, dense and aromatic, this is simply a beautiful wine, gorgeous and delicious, but also well structured and ageworthy. It is fulfilling all the promise I originally saw in it. It is not done developing yet. There were 25,614 bottles produced, along with 109 magnums. Drink now-2027. The Auru, Reserva and Grande Reserva verticals from 2009 on back were poured at the winery in Douro. The Reserva vertical showed improvement and then consistency, making this wine a really fine value point in the Portal lineup—although as time goes on the Grande Reservas overall certainly generally surpass them and age better, e.g., 2000 and 2003. Notes on wines omitted in the Reserva vertical (particularly the ‘04 and ‘08) are in the database. The Grande Reserva lineup had few surprises. The wines generally showed quite well and my winery notes and scores were pretty much in line with what was originally published and predicted. It is, however, good to confirm that the wines fulfilled their promise and developed well. The Auru vertical also demonstrated the winery’s improving skill. There can’t be much doubt that Portal is a serious player in Douro, competing well with most anyone. The only problem with Auru is the pricing. The wines are certainly pretty fine, but the question there does become whether it justifies the big price spike considering how good many of the “l(fā)esser” bottlings have become. The Grande Reservas have really become a sweet spot in the lineup, not that they are cheap. NOTE: I am not publishing a tasting note on the 2009 Auru as it was rather closed and needs to be reevaluated, but it certainly seemed to have at least 92-94 point potential. Note that the prices for the library wines were simply taken from the last releases. The older vintages may not in fact be readily available and thus prices may vary widely. Importer: M Imports, Coppell, TX; tel: (214) 505-0616.

The 2007 GRANDE RESERVA is Touriga Nacional dominated (60%) with 30% Tinta Roriz and 10% Touriga Franca. It was aged for 14 months in French oak. It is simply a lovely wine, covering all bases, delicious, gorgeously structured and ageworthy. As with most Grande Reservas, there is a layer of oak to push through early on, but this beautifully structured wine doesn’t seem creamy at all—quite the contrary-- and it is likely to keep developing beautifully in the cellar. It sure developed brilliantly while I had it open over several hours. Intense, gripping and powerful, it is a potentially impressive wine that needs a little cellar time to show what it has. It should improve considerably in the cellar. At the moment, it is shut down pretty hard, dripping with potential, but not yet what it should be. You can approach it soon if you wish, but that is likely to just waste a bottle. It will be a better around 2013-2015, and it will age gracefully. There were 25,614 bottles produced, along with 109 magnums. Drink 2012-2026. The pretty labels are always fun, but reality beckons—this estate is increasingly a major player in the Douro.Importer: M Imports, Coppell, TX; tel: (214) 505-0616.

A perfumed wine, powered by a velvet texture and tannins that have a hidden kick. The big, bold fruit flavors show acidity and a dry edge while also being rich. Very dense, textured wine for aging over 5–6 years.——R.V.(4/1/2011)—— 93