The 2010 TINTO “MARQUES DE BORBA” is a blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in second pass oak. It is a charmer in what is a pretty consistent, good value offering from Ramos. Smooth and refined, with good depth and well integrated tannins, but also some liveliness, this has a certain air of richness and it is bursting with flavor. It is just lovely this year, a very nice effort in the vintage, elegant and delicious. It should hold reasonably well, but it seems to drink nicely right now. This isn’t the winery’s best wine, which becomes more apparent as they are all aired out for a several hours or even retasted the next day, but it is far and away the best value and drinking great now. It should be encountered on the younger side for best results, but it has enough stuffing so that it won’t fall apart in a few years. Drink now-2018. Importers: for Loios, Vila Santa and Quinta da Vicosa brands: Winebow, Inc., Montvale, N.J.; tel: (201) 445-0620; for Marques de Borba brand and Red Leg: Winebow, Inc; Signature Imports, Mansfield, MA; tel: (800) 669-0750 (in New England, New Jersey, N.Y.) and HGC Imports, San Jose, CA; tel: (408) 947-8511 (for Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington State and Colorado)

A young and fruity wine, full of ripe black currant fruit. Its tannins are soft, a good balance with the fresh, juicy fruit. Drink or age a year.——R.V.(11/1/2011)—— 86

The 2009 TINTO “MARQUES DE BORBA” is a blend of Aragones, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in second pass oak. This seems very sweet at first and then resolves into a very nice whole, elegant, but still feeling full in its youth, with intensity on the finish and enough structure to hold awhile. I suspect this will thin as time wears on, but it seems extremely attractive now, nicely constructed and elegantly tasty, at a very nice price point. Drink now-2018. This lineup is often a good source for values in Portugal. This year’s releases are no different, and perhaps better than most in that regard. There are a lot of beautifully constructed wines here that are charming and inexpensive (ignoring the Reserva “MARQUES DE BORBA,” which has spiked up dramatically in recent years to levels many might find unrealistic). The Vila Santa Reserva Tinto and the Marques de Borba regular Tinto are certainly best buys, but there are good cases to make for the monovarietals and the Loios wines as well.Importers: for Loios, Vila Santa and Quinta da Vicosa brands: Winebow, Inc., Montvale, N.J.; tel: (201) 445-0620; for Marques de Borba brand: Signature Imports, Mansfield, MA; tel: (800) 669-0750 (in New England, New Jersey, N.Y.) and HGC Imports, San Jose, CA; tel: (408) 947-8511 (for Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington State and Colorado).

The popular Marques de Borba brand is a soft, ripe, very accessible wine. With a light touch of wood aging, it follows easily through with cherry and red plum fruits, a deliciously mouthwatering aftertaste.——R.V.(2/1/2011)—— 88