Herdade Do Rocim Reserva Grande Rocim

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：4030

The 2011 Reserva Grande Rocim was potentially brilliant when seen over the summer for a preview look in Alentejo, but it had a lot going on and really needed a second look with a few months more in bottle. It's the best wine of the group from Rocim this issue, although clearly the worst value. Unfortunately priced out of most peoples' consideration, especially in the USA (it is a somewhat more palatable 50 euros in Portugal), it is a statement wine composed of 100% Alicante Bouschet. It comes in at 15.0% alcohol and was aged in new French oak for 18 months (200% new oak, in fact, meaning it passed through new barrels in two phases) and therein lies its first problem. It combined focus, sweet oak, fine fruit and more sweet oak. However, it was a decadent and delicious whole anyway. This wine does not forget about structure, by the way. It is powerful on opening and very tight on the finish. Over a couple of days, the tannins resolved well. That one caveat keeps recurring, though: the big fruit (and big everything) is rather obscured by the big oak treatment that makes it seem a bit unbalanced just now. That will make it a touch controversial early on since the Alicante character is hard to find. It could be most any grape at this point. The key question becomes with this and all such wines – what will be left when the oak subsides, assuming it does? The answer is not always so clear with such beasts, but I saw plenty of good signs. It had the wherewithal to drink better the next day and was equally good if not better on Day 3. That impressed me. After being open for another hour on Day 3, it actually gave me some hints that there was actually Alicante Bouschet underneath. It seems like a winner in many respects no matter what, if you like its rather decadent style. Drunk a bit cool (low 60sF), it seemed like pure hedonism and I do think it is the best wine Rocim has yet made. While the 2009 of this bottling seems to be on the upswing, this 2011 more clearly delivers the goods in its style. The only question is how good it is, and some conservatism is warranted there. It may well be entitled to an uptick at some point, but let's take that slowly. It will be approachable young, but for best results take that slowly, too, and give it a couple of years to settle down. Its biggest problem, to be sure, will be the price point. That's up to you.