The 2008 Alicante Bouschet "AB" is, like its monovarietal peers, very much in the same mold as the others, lots of sweet oak nuances, reasonably elegant mid-palate and some modest hints of possible integration of the oak. With all of them, the question is usually: will they move beyond the one-dimensional, oak-laced impression that they have early on? They do seem dominated more by a formula and a house style than the character of their grapes. I did think the structure here was pretty good and it had some bite on it that not all the wines had. With air, there was a touch of harshness on the finish. Drink now-2017. This iconic Southern Portuguese winery has a lot of new labels this year, which generally look pretty good. The labels for the Reserva and Private Selection, of course, feature art by Portuguese artists - see all the back labels for details. The monovarietal wines now come with just a big letter or two on the front - like "S" for Syrah or "V" for Verdelho. The details are on the label in smaller print.Importer: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044; for Washington and Oregon only: Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843