2009 Casa Ferreirinha Reserva Especial

The 2009 Reserva Especial is mostly a 45/30 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, with 15% Tinta Roriz and 10% Tinto Cão, aged for 16 months in 75% new French oak. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. Very muscular, this has all the warmth of this difficult and very hot vintage. The fruit marches right up to the line of too ripe and perhaps goes over it. The wine shows dark baked-plum flavors and just a hint of prune. I liked it anyway, but it is hard to call it a great Reserva Especial, even with some elements of greatness to it. The structure here is astonishingly good, for one thing, leaving this tight and powerful. That's not unusual for this big vintage or the brand. However, it simply lacks the balance of the other wines. Personally, I'd take the 2009 Quinta da Leda (not seen for this issue) or the 2015. They may not be as attention-getting, but they are far fresher, particularly the 2015. Some may be happier with this, to be sure, others probably not. Let's start here and see if this holds its balance as it ages. A little caution is warranted. It may yet make its case in the cellar, and these tend to age very well—although (beware...) this is not the freshest year. There were 1,500 cases produced.