The 2009 Vinha da Defesa Tinto is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah, aged in French oak for 6 months. This is usually a pretty nice value point, and so it is again this year. Nicely balanced, with a slight tinge of oak in its youth, this seems flavorful and somewhat gripping on the finish, although the tannins are reasonably well integrated. Although the mid-palate is in fact not all that concentrated, it feels quite full in the mouth on first attack and surprisingly rich, even though it has the structure to go with the fruit. It becomes a bit intense with some air, more than I thought I would see, making it rather well put together for a wine in this price range. It also develops a bit of an earthy, slightly gamey note, no doubt the Syrah asserting itself, which some will love, and others might not. It should be at peak soon. Drink now-2016. Importer: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044; for Washington and Oregon only: Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843

The 2008 Vinha da Defesa Red is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah aged in a mixture of stainless steel and French oak for 6 months. As an inexpensive red in the lineup, this compares favorably to the entry level Monte Velho Tinto by adding a couple of layers of depth, quite a bit more power and a more caressing texture. Richer and more concentrated, it has bite on the finish, too. It doesn't just show well next to the entry level red, though. It also compares quite well to most of the pricier reds in the winery's lineup this issue and I liked it as well or better as the pricier monovarietals. One quibble was some funk on the nose, which I thought might be reductive in origin. It was modest on the first bottle tasted, stronger on the second. I was pleased to see it largely blow off as the wine aired out. It certainly has a juicy, bold and flavorful finish and shows increasing purity of fruit as it airs out. It has nice structure for its price range, too, although I suspect it will shed its tannins fairly fast and become grapier and fruitier. For a wine in this price range (suggested retail $15, which might even be less in some places), it will leave a lot of folks feeling like they got a pretty fair bit of wine for the money. It is the best value point in the winery's lineup this issue. Drink now-2017. This iconic Southern Portuguese winery has a lot of new labels this year, which generally look pretty good. The labels for the Reserva and Private Selection, of course, feature art by Portuguese artists - see all the back labels for details. The monovarietal wines now come with just a big letter or two on the front - like "S" for Syrah or "V" for Verdelho. The details are on the label in smaller print.Importer: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044; for Washington and Oregon only: Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843

The 2006 VINHA DA DEFESA Tinto is soft and easy, a blend of Castelao and Aragonez, aged for 6 months in new French oak. It has a bright feel on the finish, as well as a somewhat herbaceous nose. The mid-palate thins a bit too quickly, and the wine is short on the finish, but this is a decent performance for a modestly priced wine made in quantity (23,000 cases) in a difficult year. The problem is that Esporao’s current, lesser priced releases seem to perform about as well. Drink now-2010. This old stalwart in Alentejo provides some of the best buys in Portugal. Its current lineup is notable for the number of fine values, even with the continuing problems with exchange rates (many of these prices may have been set before the recent resurgence of the dollar). Sometimes, the big question here is simply why you should bother to trade up to their more expensive wines.Importers: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044; for Washington and Oregon only: Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843