The 2010 Rose is a blend of Alfrocheiro, Aragonez and Touriga Franca. Quite delightful, it is nicely priced, well balanced, reasonably solid. Dry and crisp, with good flavor, it has none of the fruity sweetness some pinks get. Nicely done. Drink now-2012. 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 ROSE is a blend of Alfrocheiro, Aragonez and Touriga Franca. Clean and fragrant, this relatively bright and dry pink is fun to drink and refreshing. It has some bite and succulence on the finish. Drink it now for best results. Drink now-2011. 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