The 2009 Tinta Roriz is concentrated and a touch meaty, with a tiny burst of alcohol, particularly early on (listed at 14.5%, which one would think could be handled). Powerful on the finish, it is oak-tinged in its youth, needing some “pull me together” time. This is tasty and should evolve. Give it a year or two to settle down, though. Drink 2013-2019. Crasto is one of the Douro’s most prominent estates, typically one of its leaders. With a beautiful Quinta and view – easier to get to by boat, more interesting to get to by car – it justly attracts a lot of attention. The releases this year, 2009s, have plenty to offer, but I was not entirely convinced by all of the upper level wines. Perhaps time will tell another story as they calm down and settle down.Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, Ca.; (415) 931-1725.

A pair to Crasto’s Touriga Nacional, this is as smooth as only Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) can be. It slides across the mouth with its ripe spicy black plum fruits. It is perfumed, toasty from new wood, able to age for 3–4 years and more.——R.V.(2/1/2012)—— 92

The 2003 Tinta Roriz is a mouthful, round, full and rich, with beautiful flavors on the finish. It has a fragrant, seductive nose, and red berry overtones. With air, the wine evolves beautifully, and the tannins emerge to provide some intensity and grip. This is probably my favorite single varietal bottling of those that I reviewed for this report, with impressive structure, and delicious fruit. With more air it became harmonious and rather sensual, although not terribly complex, and perhaps it thinned a bit faster than I would have expected. I t will mature fairly quickly. Still, the succulent fruit lingering on the finish makes this a big winner. If it develops as well as I hope in the cellar, it might even merit a score increase. Drink 2007-2017. This old, historic estate, owned by the Roquette family, is on everyone’s short list for the designation “best dry wine producer in Portugal,” and with good reason. This is one of the estates that turbo-charged the dry red revolution in modern Portugal. As befits a standard bearer, they go from strength to strength and their wines are in high demand. Even their off-vintage wines are good, while their upper level “good vintage” wines are some of the most sought after in Portugal, and some of the most distinguished the country has to offer. The Roquettes’ exciting new joint venture with Jean-Michel Cazes (of Chateau Lynch Bages) is another feather in their caps. It is separately listed under “Roquette e Cazes.” The lineup from Quinta do Crasto was probably the most impressive that I tasted, from top to bottom, when I was in Portugal. (The wines reviewed here, as with almost everything in this report, were retasted from bottle under controlled conditions in the USA.) If there is a downside, it is the obvious one – the wines are pretty pricey, a function of prestige and, sometimes, scarcity.Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 931-1725