Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Douro Red 2008 (£10.99 Whole Foods Market, Roberson, Partridges, Philglas & Swiggot, Planet of the Grapes, Wines of the World)
Young boisterous wine, awash with juicy fruit – black fruits on the nose, but strawberries and redcurrants in the mouth – pepped up with notes of ginger biscuit, spicy oak and a twist of pepper. S-

Sogrape Callabriga Douro 2007 (£10.99-£12.99 Wine Society, Amps Fine Wines, Alexander Hadleigh, Stevens Garnier, Bablake Wines, Troubadour Wines)
Only a year older, but has a relaxed, chilled feel. Lovely plump plummy berry fruit, a touch of brown sugar and something of the supple vanilla oak character found in Rioja. Very tasty. S

Ramos Pinto Duas Quintas Reserva 2007 (£28.00 Fortnum & Mason, www.everywine.co.uk)
A profound youngster, showing the violet, orange peel & ginger biscuit fragrance I associate with Touriga Nacional, brooding fruit, and a firm minerality – is there some granite in the soils here? Ambitious and promising, but needs time to flesh out. S(+)

Sogrape Callabriga Douro Reserva 2007 (£19.99 Alexander Hadleigh, Stevens Garnier)
A wine for both the head and the heart, this has some of that old wooden furniture character of traditional Rioja, with dense warm plum and blackberry flavours backed up by firm but ripe tannins, and notes of spice and brown sugar on the finish. Very attractive now, but seems almost to get younger the longer it’s in the glass, which suggests it’s best is still to come. S(+)

Loved both these last two wines – if it helps, think of them as Rhône wines, with Ramos Pinto representing the North, and Callabriga the South.