Ciconia The Reserva

Attractive, ripe wine, packed with forward plum and damson fruits. Coffee and bitter chocolate add extra interest. It is smooth, just layered with tannins, ready to drink. Screwcap.

The 2009 Reserva “Ciconia” is 60% Aragonez, 30% Touriga nacional and the Tricaderia. This is only a few bucks more than the regular Ciconia release (the 2010 reviewed this issue) and it is well worth the upgrade. Here, you start to get something with some mid-palate concentration and structure, more focused and persistent flavors and just a little earthy character lurking underneath — perhaps the Tricaderia? — while retaining some of the bold flavors of the regular bottling. This is a very nice bargain, a lot of wine for the money. The sole quibble I had was the alcohol (14.5%) was occasionally noticeable, but not too distracting. In fact, I held it open another hour or so to play with it a bit, and it performed very well, even showing some grip on the finish. Coming on the heels of a lovely 2008, this has become a pretty nice bargain with a Southern Rhone feel to it. Drink now–2015.

A juicy red, with zesty flavors of red berry and plenty of brambly accents. Hints of paprika chime in on the spicy finish. Aragonez, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira. Drink now.