Vinha Maria Teresa, Quinta do Crasto 2013

The 2013 Vinha Maria Teresa is Crasto's lone single vineyard wine this year--there will be no Ponte--and it is a beauty. Showing the big flavor that this bottling always produces, it is nonetheless a remarkably graceful wine, impeccably balanced, pointed and focused. Over the years, this bottling has become ever more graceful while always retaining its identity. Never bombastic these days, this bottling can be a good food wine, as well as a tasty treat. The bright fruit, laced with a bit of blueberry and vanilla in its youth, becomes more nuanced over time and continues to evolve in the glass. Some air and time does this a lot of good. Its tannins are well integrated, but they do make an appearance. Overall, this is very approachable, but it would be a waste to dive in now. It should hold together very well in cellar over the next couple of decades; let's start conservatively in that regard. It is a beauty overall.