2011 Quinta do Passadouro

The 2011 Tinto, i.e., the Estate Tinto, not to be confused with the Passa, is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 25% each of Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca and 10% old vines field blend, aged in oak (80% used, 20% new) for 18 months. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. With refined tannins and an understated demeanor, it is a gracious and carefully constructed regular Tinto that performs beautifully. It should make the winery a lot of friends. It initially has some of the same structural feel as the Passa red reviewed this issue, but with no tank-aging, more power and more concentration, this projects a more serious feel, the exuberant fruit seen on the Passa not in evidence, at least not in the same way. As it sits in the glass, it expands, showing beautiful balance and refinement. Its harmony and texture are calling cards. This won’t be the biggest “wow” wine of the vintage, but it is wine you won’t want to stop drinking, another example of what a fine year Passadouro has had – and what values are to be had here at lower levels. Drink now-2023. This set of new releases (plus one blast from the recent past) is probably the best set of offerings that I have seen from Passadouro. From top to bottom, they deliver. Plus, they offer a lot of value overall, with one nice bargain after another. Bargain hunters should take note. In fact, I was beginning to think that winemaker Jorge Borges had a problem here: he is making the lower level wines too good. Consumers can and should profit from that problem. Importer: Winebow, Inc., Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620