Brett happens

Douro 2010, Quinto do Crasto ($18.10, 10486921)
Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional from vines around 20 years of age. Sorted, destemmed, crushed and transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks where they fermented for 7 days. Five percent of the resulting wine was matured 12 months in French oak barrels. 13.5% ABV.
Ashy plum, spice, tar, alcohol. Black cherry, plum, chocolate. Smooth, balanced and lightly structured. The fruit is clean and ripe, the sweetness held in check by acidity and dark minerals. The finish is long and savoury. Not deep but accessible and enjoyable. (Buy again? Sure.)

Douro 2010, Pó de Poeira ($25.50, 11895410)
An estate founded in 2001 by Jose Moreira, chief oenologist at Quinta de la Rosa. This cuvée is a 50-50 blend of old- and young-vine Touriga Nacional (50%), Sousão (30%) and Touriga Franca (20%) that is matured 12 months in neutral oak barrels. 14% ABV.
Minty, wood, floral, spice and, unfortunately, the faintest hint of TCA. Despite the taint, you could tell this was a fluid, elegantly structured wine with velvety tannins. I sometimes find red Douros a little stolid but this didn’t seem that way at all. (Buy again? More than happy to give it another chance. Would also like to try the Alvarinho-based white.)

Douro 2009, Quinta de la Rosa ($19.70, 928473)
A blend of traditional Port varieties, mainly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz from dry-farmed 20- to 30-year-old vines. Fermented in small stainless steel vats. Matured 12 months in French and Portuguese oak casks. Minimally filtered before bottling. 14% ABV.
Decomposing tree with fungus ears, mowed field, plum, spice. Round, smooth and balanced, the dark fruit firmed by springy tannins, lifted by acidity and sweetened by a kiss of oak. Long, minerally finish. (Buy again? Yes.)

Douro 2009, Reserva, Quinta do Crasto ($37.00, 904383)
A blend of several unspecified varieties from terrace-grown, 70-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Sorted, destemmed, lightly crushed and transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Matured 16 months in 225-litre barrels (85% French and 15% American oak). 14.5% ABV.
Purple plum, spice, dill and sawed wood. Big and structured in the mouth. Intensely flavoured, though you have to peel away the layers of oak, ash and dark minerals to get to the fruit. Solid tannins. Surprisingly acidic, though there’s plenty of balancing extract. A dashing, age-worthy wine that needs a few years to find its inner peace and harmony. (Buy again? Yes.)