The 2008 Incognito is Syrah in full flight, gamey and showing a lot of character, and in this vintage, showing rather crisp and focused as well, with moderately ripe tannins. It is caressing on the palate. The wine seems a bit smokey as well. The traces of funk may not be to everyone's liking, but note that with more aeration they did moderate dramatically. The mid-palate is rather elegant and focused. To its credit, as it airs out, it shows some potential for improvement in the cellar. As Syrah goes, it is a wine that has some varietal character, and you don't always get that in Portugal. Drink now-2020. 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

Earthbound Syrah, with plenty of acidity to go with the berry fruits. It pushes its freshness as much as its weighty black flavors, with a warm ripe feel to it. ——R.V.(8/1/2011)—— 86

The 2005 INCOGNITO, Cortes de Cima’s famous, erstwhile “outlaw” Syrah, is rather well balanced this year, almost wimpy by some prior standards. Often the most flamboyant wine in the lineup, this actually shows some elegance and character, perhaps from the touch of game. It has a soft, rather sensual texture and good flavors still, but it also shows welcome restraint. There are supporting tannins along the edges. There are some quibbles here. The mid-palate seems rather thin at first for its price category, but it does flesh out with some air. The gamey note on the wine is unusual for this bottling, although not as pronounced as on the regular Syrah, and not entirely unwelcome. This is certainly a very different Incognito, but the bright, succulent finish is a pleasure, and I liked it more and more as it aired out. Drink now-2015. 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.