The 2005 Tinto comes with a new label these days, just saying “Crasto,” instead of “Quinta do Crasto.” This is because it includes some new, nearby vineyard sources that are not all contained within Quinta do Crasto. It is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, just bottled in July, 2006. This is, by a long margin, Quinta do Crasto’s simplest wine (at least until the debut of the Beaujolais-esque“Flor,” meant to attack the sub-$10 market), rather basic, light, fruity and a bit foursquare. Whether due to the new vineyards or the vintage, or both, it seemed to me to be a notch or two below the overachieving 2003 Tinto. It is obviously young and grapey, and likely to be early maturing. With just hints of tannins around the edges, and perhaps a touch of bubblegum, too, that said, it is quite tasty and rather fragrant. If it has little depth and a modest finish, it just plain tastes good. Drink now-2012. This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone’s short list for the designation “best dry wine producer in Portugal,” and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level “good vintage” wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes’ exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under “Roquette e Cazes.” The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one – the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity.Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 931-1725

A wine that relies on delicious primary fruit flavors, fresh and lively, with acidity, soft but typically dry Douro tannins and red fruit flavors. A delicious, fresh wine.——R.V.(9/1/2007)—— 87