2019 Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Reserve Douro

(93+ Points) “The 2019 Duas Quintas Reserva is a 70/20 blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, with Tinta da Barca for the rest, all aged for 18 months in 20% new French oak of various sizes. It comes in at a hefty 15.7% alcohol. A big Reserva, this has fine depth and concentration, big fruit flavors and pungent aromatics. There is a serious backbone too. It is, though, the highest I've seen in alcohol (although some might have more generic and less accurate label numbers rather than the actual analytical numbers I seek now). So far, this seems to handle its size and alcohol very well, even if it is a bit of an outlier (but not as much for the Reserva, as the regular in this report is for that lighter-styled brand). In fact, it seems rather delicious and still focused. It's tightly wound but not harsh. Right now, I have to lean up on this but not quite all the way. I'm sure some will find it sensational, but I would like to see some evidence it can hold its balance. The tannins are not hard, so you can try this now. It will still be better in a couple of years, if all goes well.” July 29, 2022, Mark Squires, The Wine Advocate