The 2008 Vinha da Defesa Red is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah aged in a mixture of stainless steel and French oak for 6 months. As an inexpensive red in the lineup, this compares favorably to the entry level Monte Velho Tinto by adding a couple of layers of depth, quite a bit more power and a more caressing texture. Richer and more concentrated, it has bite on the finish, too. It doesn't just show well next to the entry level red, though. It also compares quite well to most of the pricier reds in the winery's lineup this issue and I liked it as well or better as the pricier monovarietals. One quibble was some funk on the nose, which I thought might be reductive in origin. It was modest on the first bottle tasted, stronger on the second. I was pleased to see it largely blow off as the wine aired out. It certainly has a juicy, bold and flavorful finish and shows increasing purity of fruit as it airs out. It has nice structure for its price range, too, although I suspect it will shed its tannins fairly fast and become grapier and fruitier. For a wine in this price range (suggested retail $15, which might even be less in some places), it will leave a lot of folks feeling like they got a pretty fair bit of wine for the money. It is the best value point in the winery's lineup this issue. Drink now-2017. This iconic Southern Portuguese winery has a lot of new labels this year, which generally look pretty good. The labels for the Reserva and Private Selection, of course, feature art by Portuguese artists - see all the back labels for details. The monovarietal wines now come with just a big letter or two on the front - like "S" for Syrah or "V" for Verdelho. The details are on the label in smaller print.Importer: Aidil Wines & Liquors, a division of Olde World Imports, Inc., Rahway, NJ; tel. (973) 642-0044; for Washington and Oregon only: Vinum Importing, Redmond, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843
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