The 2004 GRANDE RESERVA arrived last year grapey, thick and sappy, if not quite a barrel sample, pretty darned close to it. It is coming along beautifully now, a bit faster than anticipated, the structure and good balance more obvious. It is the most intense of the wines reviewed this year. It is fairly priced, well structured and very appealing. There were 3,300 cases produced, of which 1,000 were imported. Drink 2008-2017. CARM’s vineyards are located about 3 km from Spain, and right next to Quinta da Leda, the well known Casa Ferreirinha vineyard. CARM produced its first vintage in 1999. Excepting the Quinta do Coa bottlings, the wines are generally blends of up to 5 different Quintas. Most all of CARM's wines deliver bang for the buck.Importer: Grape Moments, a Division of Sintra Imports, New Bedford, MA; tel. (508) 997-0100.

Possibly draws too much attention to its densely packed and almost impenetrable black fruits. Its fine tannins, light herbal and bright red berries are a good counterpoint. Give it four years, maybe more.——R.V.(7/1/2008)—— 91