The 2010 Tinto is a kitchen sink blend of Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Franca and Petit Verdot. They didn't leave much out! Gracefully presented, this has an elegant mid-palate, with all parts perfectly integrated. It doesn-t have a lot of depth or concentration, but it otherwise has a lot going on - a medley of flavors, red fruit, some herbs, all packaged together in an easy drinking wine. It is arguably at peak now and won-t get much if any better, so drink it young. Drink now-2015. The consulting oenologist here is Rui Reguina, well known in the region for various projects, including his own Terrenus. Also note that, as with many Portuguese wineries, the brand often takes great precedence over the producer name - or even the main brand. On the Calantica, Ravasqueira will be in tiny print only on the back. While most of the wines display Ravasqueira prominently somewhere, also note that the formal corporate name is S.A. Diniz. On the winery's advice, everything is listed here under Ravasqueira.Importer: Well Oiled Wine Company, Leesburg, VA; tel. (703) 771-7090

The 2009 TINTO is a kitchen sink blend of Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Petit Verdot, aged 8 months in French oak. Showing good purity of fruit with some velvety texture, it becomes rather harmonious as it airs out, showing good balance and developing well. Juicy and succulent on the finish, this is a tasty Tinto that finishes with intense bursts of flavor, while seeming like real wine, not being jammy. Some tannins do eventually pop out. This has a little more finesse and hints of oak (it spent 8 months in French oak) versus the less expensive, slightly more exuberant Fonte da Serrana reviewed this issue, but they share some stylistic attributes and are not really qualitatively different. Bargain hunters may find the Fonte da Serrana is a very good choice. As with the Fonte da Serrana, drink this on the younger side, and don’t be surprised if you pick it up 4 years later and don’t like it as much. There were 100,000 bottles produced. Drink now-2016. Ravasqueira is an estate long associated with horse racing and breeding. The wine is more recent, the first vintage having been produced in 2001, and is handled by winemakers Rui Reguinga and Carlos Rodrigues. Total production is about 200,000 bottles. In this group of “first look” releases, the winery has provided some pretty good values with their lesser wines, but struggles, I think, to justify the price gap between the big boys and the value entrants. While the big boys may be technically better and the various levels may separate themselves with age, as the lower level wines just don’t have the same structure, I’m not sure they ever will be as charming or win as many fans as the lower priced wines. Just drink the under $20 wines young and fresh, for best results.Importer: Artisan Vines Distributing, Atlanta, GA; tel: (404) 688-0232