Sanguinhal 2016 Cerejeiras Tinto Grande Reserva 750ml

The 2011 Reserva Quinta das Cerejeiras is 40% Castelão, 30% Touriga Nacional and 30% Aragonez, aged for 24 months in a 60/40 mixture of used and new French (40%) and American (60%) barrels. This is the producer's oldest label, dating to 1926. There is a fair amount of power here, but even with some oak-impact, the most notable feature is the fine freshness and elegant mid-palate. A bit on the lean side, there isn't a lot of flesh or sweet fruit--although the oak gives it a hint of a sweet edge. Rather, it seems right along the lines of the 2009, stern, projecting gravitas and emphasizing structure over fruit. The wood does smooth this out a bit, though, compared to the 2009. I would give this a slight edge over the 2009. It will have to be your style, though. Both are on the more intellectual side.

Score: 91 points -- Mark Squires, Robertparker.com, Dec 2016