The 2009 RESERVA is an old vines field blend (80%) with 20% Touriga Nacional, aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. This takes the nicely constructed regular Tinto, adds a couple of layers of depth, a lot more intensity and pure power. I wasn’t always sure that extra “everything” was to its advantage, however; it is a wine that is a creature of this big vintage, seeming rather big, showing its alcohol a bit (14.9%) and projecting a rather disjointed and burly demeanor in its youth. It did show some evidence of coming around, although it finished rather astringent and hard edged even after a couple of hours. This is a concentrated wine that will have to prove its bones in the cellar—it needs a little time, for sure, but it does have some balance questions to answer. Despite its potential, I think a little conservatism in scoring is warranted at the moment. There were 6,000 bottles produced, along with some large format bottles. Drink 2014-2023. Importer: Winebow, Inc., Montvale, N.J.; tel: (201) 445-0620