The 2008 GRANDE RESERVA from Douro is an old vines field blend (50%), plus Touriga Franca (25%) and Touriga Nacional (25%), oak aged for 18 months in new French oak. It is well marked by sweet oak, which raises some balance issues as the flavor is dominated by vanilla and coconut, but it is nicely constructed and seems rich in the mid-palate with a real backbone. It is in many respects the Reserva with more oak added, and while the treatment here gives this a rather sexy feel together with strong aromatics that some will find quite appealing, I suspect others will be happiest with the Douro Reserva of this trio of Douro Casca wines reviewed this issue (the Tinto, Reserva and Grande Reserva), which Reserva was, I thought, the best intersection of the three between price and quality. Drink now-2017. These wines are part of Joe Veselko’s (formerly having worked at Pocas) Wine Project Portugal import venture, designed to showcase various Portuguese regions and grapes. The Casca winemakers are Frederico Gomes (formerly of Herdade da Malhadinha Nova) and Helder Cunha, who worked at Kent Rasmussen and Vinhos Borges. The Monte Cascas brand label means “pile of shells,” very loosely, the origin of the name for Cascais, the winemakers’ home town, not far from Lisbon. The Cape Roca brand label, with various maritime and nautical themes like “boat” and “fisherman,” references Portugal’s connection with the Atlantic Ocean, as Cape Roca is the westernmost point of the European continent. The Cape Roca wines are meant to be a little more approachable and accessible to the average consumer. They tend to be made in greater quantities and are often at lower price points—at the least, the ultra premium wines are under the Monte Cascas label. Finally, make sure you’re looking at the right region in the reviews. There may be more than one 2008 Casca Reserva Tinto, for example—one from Douro, one from Alentejo, etc.Importer: Laurel Importers, Bristol, R.I.; tel: (401) 396-9661