2015 Quinta do Vesuvio Tinto

The 2015 Tinto (Quinta do Vesúvio), the Estate red, is a blend of 54% Touriga Nacional, 42% Touriga Franca and a dollop of Tinta Amarela, mostly from the highest part of the vineyard (450 meters). It was aged for 16 months in French oak (75% new, a slight variation on the prior note) and comes in at 14.1% alcohol. When seen before as a tank sample, this looked stellar. Let's check in. This is wonderfully elegant, with intensity of flavor and a refined feel. This is a Quinta I love for its expression of fruit, but it does not stint on elegance here. The tannins are very ripe, making this surprisingly approachable even its youth. I was a little surprised that it seemed so accessible. When I went back to it after an hour or so in the glass, however, it was far more interesting. It gained weight and seemed twice as concentrated. It became a little tighter on the finish as well, although the tannins were still reasonably ripe. Suddenly, though, it was seeming like fine Bordeaux with pure and expressive fruit in all its glory. This is still an undeveloped puppy, even if seems approachable. It may yet (and should) become something even more in a few years. If you open it anytime soon, it will benefit from some air. There were 23,100 bottles produced, plus some large-format bottles. (Wine Advocate)