The 2005 RESERVA is a field blend from West-facing vineyards in excess of 80 years old (70%), Touriga Nacional (27%, 15 years old) and a dollop of Sousao. It spent 18 months in French oak, 70% new. It is, as previously noted, one of those very elegant 2005s, and sometimes I thought it was a bit too elegant, showing less of the intensity and concentration I usually expect. It is still a quite charming wine, flavorful, graceful and sunny, and with aeration, its underlying structure does finally appear. It does add a layer of depth to what I saw in the Touriga Nacional. This is always going to be a lovely wine, but I’m not sure it will be a truly distinguished one. Drink 2009-2017. Importer: Quintessential, Napa, CA; tel. (914) 725-3479.

A powerhouse of a wine that promises huge fruit flavors, this is a time bomb of richness, which will break through those dark tannins and the closed, dense texture. ——R.V.(11/1/2008)—— 94