Esporão Reserva 2012

"The 2010 Reserva red is a blend of 40% Aragones, 30% Trincadeira, 20% Alicante Bouschet and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in tank and then aged in a mixture of American (70%) and French (30%) oak (33% new, 33% one year old, 33% two years old) for 12 months. Sourced from vines with an average age of 15 years, it was held back in bottle another year and late released. This is usually a pretty nice deal from the winery, an attractive wine that can age a bit and is well priced. It never seems terribly complex, but it always tastes great and has good structure. So, too, here. With a relatively elegant mid-palate, this shows focus and precision, tightening on the finish as the fruit (and oak) flavors get locked down to the palate. It is a wine that has the structure to please those who cellar wine (it is not quite ready), and the flavor to appeal to everyone. There is that bit of an oaky overlay, which makes it a tad one-dimensional at the moment, but that should integrate to some extent with time. Underneath, there are also some hints of complexity, a touch of herbs in particular that I suspect will become more prominent as the oak calms down. If you give this a little cellar time, it should acquire more complexity and harmony. It has the structure to hang around a bit. Drink now-2021".