2011 Quinta do Mourao Rio Bom Reserva

The 2011 Reserva Rio Bom is a 60/40 blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, aged for 12 months in new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. This late release is basically an older version of the regular Colheita reviewed this issue but with a lot more impact from new oak. The texture is creamy instead of velvety. It is more powerful but less pure and balanced. The wood, and perhaps the very ripe fruit, gives it an odd nuance. Perhaps there is also a touch of nail polish. The price spike seems mostly for the late release and the wood. You don't, in fact, get rewarded all that much here. Many will be just as happy with the more elegant 2015 regular, if not more so.