Quinta do Vale Meao 2016, Douro

Description

Quinta do Vale Meao 2016 is one of the very top red wines of the Douro. It is made at the famous Quinta do Vale Meao estate, one of the great wine estates of the Douro, if not the world.

Quinta do Vale Meao  was bought and established by the legendary lady of Port, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, in the early 19th Century. It has been the stage for many pioneering feats of winemaking and viticulture in the Douro. The estate remains in family hands, with descendant Francisco Xavier Olazabal (Vito), his winemaker son Francisco and daughter Luísa all devoted to the cause. This humorous and relaxed team has, since they started making wine at the quinta in 1999, pushed the boundaries of excellence in Douro reds beyond what was imaginable. The estate and its vineyards are perched on the river’s most dramatic meander, around 70 hectares of vines sweep before your eyes, planted with a host of local varieties including Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. A magnificent granite edifice houses the winery. It is remote and extreme in location but of outstanding beauty and the wines reflect this setting.

After being crushed the grapes are cooled down and trodden by foot during four hours in the granite lagares and then transferred to small stainless steel refrigerated vinifying vats. Each grape variety is vinified separately. Around 10% of the grapes were fermented with their stems. When the alcoholic fermentation ends the wine goes through malolactic fermentation part in barriques and part in stainless steel vats. Quinta do Vale Meao is matured in French Allier oak 225 litres barriques (60% new and 40% second year).

Quinta do Vale Meao 2016 2016 is a blend of 55% Touriga Franca, 35% Touriga Nacional, 5% Tinta Roriz e 5% Tinta Barroca.