The 2011 Quinta do Vesuvio has a primal bouquet with heady scents of macerated dark cherries, boysenberry jam and a slight fug of alcohol that should be integrated by the time of bottling. The palate is very rounded with sweet ripe tannins, plenty of raisin-tinged black fruit, and delicate touches of cracked black pepper and shaved ginger on the cohesive finish. This is a superb Quinta do Vesuvio. Tasted May 2013.Importer: Premium Port Wine; www.premiumport.com

The 2009 Tinto (Quinta Do Vesuvio) adds a layer or depth to the Pombal, its little brother, plus a certain high toned, herbal, rhubarb-y nuance. It does not show a lot of tension or intensity, but the oak is well integrated and the wine is quite graceful and velvety. It has reasonable concentration and a solid feel. This is a nice wine from many perspectives, assuming you like its distinctive flavor profile. Bargain hunters will seek out its little brother, the friendly and lovely Pombal this year, which frankly, considering all the pros and cons, I liked about as much, granting that this certainly has better concentration and structure. Drink now-2019. Importer: Premium Port Wines, San Francisco, Ca.; tel. (415) 554-9920

Rich wine, as befits a ripe year, full of damson jam and sweet tannins. Of course, it is still very young in a ripe fruity style. The structure is all there, ready for aging. ——R.V.(12/31/2011)—— 93

Structured wine, shouting of its dark schist terroir. Bitter chocolate and spicy fruit set an attractive frame for the acidity. With plenty of weight to go with the tannins, this will age well. ——R.V.(4/1/2011)—— 91

The 2007 TINTO (QUINTA DO VESUVIO) is Touriga Nacional dominated (70%), with Touriga Franca (20%) and Tinta Amarela filling out most of the rest of the blend, aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels. The Tinto is the top level wine here, akin to a Bordeaux Estate just listing itself as Chateau Lafite, If there is one thing missing from the second wine, the Pombal reviewed this issue, it is the mid-palate concentration that this wine has. There are intense flavors, nuances of roasted plum and game. It became far more gripping and powerful with air, then rounded into form. In the mid-term, it became quite graceful in the mid-palate, which features sappy, youthful and sweet fruit. This is an impressive debut performance, the first release from this well know Quinta, although my enthusiasm was constrained a bit by its relatively poor performance with more extended aeration, when a pricey wine from a good vintage and a famous estate should shine. Still, as a debut, it is a very fine start. There were 1,000 cases produced. Drink 2010-2020. Importer: Premium Port Wines, San Francisco, CA, tel: (415) 554-9920.