The 2006 GRANDE ESCOLHA QUINTA DO VALE DA RAPOSA is a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Cao from 60 year old vines. Oddly, this Grande Escolha is the only wine made from the premium range here in the difficult 2006 vintage. It is debuting early in the marketplace as the ’05 is long since sold out. Tiago Alves de Sousa considers it unusually approachable young, but concedes he will be holding his bottles for awhile. It is a rather tasty 2006, with lovely plum and blue fruit flavors. The oak is showing a bit too much, but it integrates fairly well and the tannins fall off quickly. This is a long way off the best this estate can do, as the finish is a bit short and it falls off quickly, but it is a Grande Escolha that everyone will like. The price is still pretty reasonable. Drink now-2016. Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914) 664-3155, for all Vale da Raposa wines and the Estacao only; Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA.; tel. (206) 621-8843; Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044, for Caldas Reserva and Abandonado only.