The 2009 Reserva “Passagem” is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional , 45% Touriga Franca and 15% Tinta Cao aged for 18 months in French oak. This will likely not hit the shelves until around March, 2012. Overly tinged with oak in its youth, it came around nicely with aeration, absorbing some of the early oaky nuances, but never losing it all. There is some astringency on the finish, and I was surprised by the power this has. I had to laugh at the winery’s statement that it intends to make fruity wines from this estate. Well, it is fruity, but the implication that they’re all soft and easy without much going on?well, sometimes. Not always. Not this year. After integrating some of the oak, this began to show some steel and minerality as well. I really liked the 2007 and 2008, different vintages but nice wines – but this may yet be the best of the trio, mingling sweet and delicious fruit with an initially stern demeanor and that tannic burst. It is still not at peak as yet. You can approach this now if you wish, but it will be better in 2013 when, I expect, the hard edges have softened. It does need to integrate the oak. Drink now-2019. This is the relatively new joint venture between Quinta de La Rosa (the Bergqvist family) and its winemaker Jorge Moreira (also the owner-winemaker of Poeira). The winery says that the wines from Passagem (i.e, “The Crossing”) tend to be fruitier and more aromatic while the wines from La Rosa tend to show more minerality as the Passagems are sourced from the Douro Superior at Quinta das Bandeiras (hence the corporate name). Bandeiras is, says the winery, “near Pocinho right opposite the famous Vale Meao.” The red this year is a Reserva, but note that there is no regular wine. They make but one. Sophia Bergqvist said: “As we don’t produce much from this vineyard, we have followed the policy of either having a Reserve or a non Reserve depending on the year...It all depends on the quality. Also, I don’t want to start making tiny quantities of wines that nobody then can get hold of.”Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914) 664-3155; William-Harrison Imports, Manassas, VA; tel. ( 703) 815-9463; Masciarelli Wines, Weymouth, MA

The 2008 RESERVA “PASSAGEM,” i.e, “the Crossing,” is a traditional blend, mainly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. Laced with sweet oak up front, this wine has a sexy note to it initially that some will adore, but that is plainly not all it has. The folks from Quinta de la Rosa and Poeira who own this as a joint venture are producing an interesting competitor to their other products here. It won’t remind anyone of the earthy wines that winemaker-owner Jorge Moreira produces for his own label, Poeira, but it is also beautifully structured, even if a touch more flamboyant. The sweet notes that gave this a one dimensional feel up front developed into a better balanced whole with aeration as the wine settled down, showing good acidity and some crisp, focused power, as so many ‘08s seem to do. The tannins here are relatively controlled. With an hour’s air, this begins to show in quite an appealing fashion as the oak began to integrate a bit and the wine showed more structure than it seemed initially to have. Ultimately, this became quite nice. It is likely to hold well in the cellar and still be approachable early. Give it a couple of years to settle down, though, for best results. Drink 2012-2022. This is a joint venture between Quinta de La Rosa and Poeira winemaker Jorge Moreira and the Bergqvist family (that owns La Rosa). The fruit is sourced from the Douro Superior at Quinta das Bandeiras.Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914) 664-3155; Vinum Importing, Redmond, Wa.; tel: (206) 621-8843.

The 2007 RESERVE PASSAGEM is a traditional blend, heavy on the Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, aged in French oak for 18 months. Unlike the 2006, this has more “l(fā)ift,” a certain bright precision to it and mouthwatering succulence on the finish. This shows astringency on the finish on opening and more intensity than I expected to see. It does not have a lot of mid-palate depth, and is not as lush as the ’06, but it is far more powerful and lingers longer. It is a well focused effort that developed a hint of earthiness as it aired out. It should age well. I liked this Passagem more and more as it aired out, and it is probably the best yet from this estate, beautifully structured and elegant. The producers here intend to produce reserve wines regularly now, when the vintage warrants. Drink now-2018. This is a joint venture between Quinta de La Rosa and Poeira winemaker Jorge Moreira and the Bergqvist family (that owns La Rosa). The fruit is sourced from the Douro Superior at Quinta das Bandeiras. The goal here is to produce somewhat more approachable, fruitier wines, although these releases certainly show fine structure. Passagem means “crossing,” in Portuguese.Importer: Vinum Importing, Redmond, Wa.; tel: (206) 621-8843.