Tinta Roriz, Quinta do Crasto 2015

The 2015 Tinta Roriz was aged in new French oak for 16 to 18 months, depending on the plot (with three vineyards separately fermented). It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. Usually Crasto's burliest, most tannic wine—even the Ponte, while often more closed and with just as much power, doesn't always seem so astringent on first taste—this has calmed down a lot since I first saw it. Very graceful and surprisingly elegant, it is a wine that doesn't seem even a little burly or rich now. As time has gone on, Crasto has moved more and more to finesse in general. Of course, the 2015 vintage helps with that as well—it wasn't really a big and jammy year. Mostly, it was a fresh and elegant one. Showing beautiful mid-palate finesse and relatively ripe tannins for the brand, this dances across the palate beautifully. It has lost some of the intensity it originally had, but it still tightens notably. It is not ready by any means. While losing some intensity, it has not yet replaced that with harmony and complexity. We are in a bit of an awkward stage. We are going to have to wait a few more years, at least. This is a little more closed than when I last saw it, but its future still looks bright.