The 2008 Reserva (Quinta De Pancas) is a kitchen sink blend (Merlot, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon), aged for 20 months in new French oak. This 2008 seems very much to be a creature of its vintage. It may not display a lot of fleshy depth, but it is crisp, with a steely demeanor that I rather liked, although too oak-tinged. That aspect will integrate in a couple of years. The wine combined good acidity and some astringent tannins early on with a little earthiness. It seemed rather impressive structurally, but it did have a vegetal note that was its one downside and that became more prominent with air. The bell pepper, asparagus and general green notes were a bit of a distraction for me and they do seem to be a bit of a theme in what I have seen in Pancas wines, perhaps even more obvious on the Grande Escolha. How you react to that may control how you react to the wine. It seemed more minor with a good food matchup, but it is an unwelcome nuance. If Loire Cabernet Franc is your style, you will probably like it better. There is a lot going on – but not everything going on will be to everyone’s taste. That said, it is otherwise a beautifully built wine that needs a little cellar time to put itself together a bit better. Although approachable, it will be better in a year or two. Drink now-2020. Founded in 1999 and formally registered as “Sociedade Agricola da Quinta do Romeira de Cima,” this company trades under the umbrella name Companhia das Quintas (meaning, “the Estates Company”), signifying its acquisition and ownership of various Quintas in various regions. As the formal name implies, they are headquartered at Quinta do Romeira. Overall, this was a very high quality lineup that was impressive for its diversity of styles and general craftsmanship. Kudos to Companhia das Quintas – this is the best lineup I’ve seen from them. Important note: if you’re browsing, note that on the front labels you will mostly just notice the Quinta names. Companhia das Quintas is usually on the back label in small print, sometimes elsewhere, such as the capsule. Finally, some of the 2009 reds did not have final labels ready at the time seen, but information was provided in the form of data sheets from the winery.Importer: Well Oiled Wine Company, Leesburg, VA; tel. (703) 771-7090