The 2009 Trincadeira is rather full bodied – for this level at Cortes de Cima – and meaty, with a touch of funk, a hint of stems that gets a bit stronger as it airs out. It is nonetheless a nicely constructed wine, with some character and brightness, together with a certain herbal profile not everyone will love. Drink now-2015. Cortes de Cima’s regular entrants showed quite well this year, the 2009s proving to be a rather successful vintage there. When I first tasted these in Portugal, they didn’t show overly well. A few months to pull themselves together helped a lot as the USA retastings went very well.Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914) 664-3155; Vinos Unico, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 531-3419; Vinum Wine Importers, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843.

The 2004 TRINCADEIRA is funky in the nose, better on the palate, with a touch of asparagus mingling with sweet fruit. There were moments when this was interesting and likeable, others when it seemed to be a bit odd. This grape is always a thrill a minute—you never seem to know quite what it is going to do, and it may produce wines with odd aromas and vegetal flavors. As with most of this winery’s upscale products, there is good structure here and the wine can age. There were just 25 cases imported out of a production run of 1,475 cases. Drink now-2014. This winery, owned by Danish-born Hans Jorgensen and his American wife (of Portuguese ancestry), Carrie, is one of Alentejo’s stalwarts. They generally make them bold and big, although there seems to be a trend to more restraint. The first release was in 1996. Their best wine is the Reserva, generally speaking. A vertical tasting of the Reservas, including the release reviewed last year (the 2003, 92 points) showed what the winery can accomplish. These library wines may be hard to find in well stored condition, even at the winery, but they are worth noting here to show what this winery can do and how well these can age. Their wines eschew the DOC Alentejo (after having had some famous dust-ups with the DOC regulations), and use instead the broader, less restrictive classification Vinho Regional Alentejano.Importers: Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY; tel. (914) 664-3155; Bibulous, San Francisco, CA; tel: (415) 378-0661; Vinum Wine Importers, Seattle, WA; tel: (206) 621-8843.