2018 Esporao Reserva Tinto

The 2018 Reserva red is a blend of 25% Aragonez, 20% Alicante Bouschet, 15% Trincadeira, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Touriga Franca and a dollop of Syrah for the rest, all aged for one year in 25% new oak (60/40 American and French). It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. In its youth, this is nicely drenched in vanilla, the wood taking the most prominent place just now. I liked the relatively rich demeanor here, and the oak also smooths the wine out and changes the texture. Eventually, some fruit pops up, with the Alicante seeming to be the most assertive in the wine's youth, but this remained oak-dominant for as long as I had it. The tannins are ripe, so you can drink this now, but it would be better to give it a year in the cellar to allow it to pull in the wood, if it can. This does have some potential to evolve, but right now it has a generic feel to it.