Rated 100points on Wine Enthusiast: Quinta do Vale Meão 2017

Quinta do Vale Meão is a barrel-aged red wine made by F. Olazabal & Filhos with the native Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz varieties in the Douro region, DOC Douro.

F. Olazabal & Filhos is a Portuguese winery located in the town of Vila Nova de Foz, in one of the most prestigious areas of the Duero. Owner Francisco Olazabal and his wife María Luísa Nicolau de Almeida, took the winemaking baton from their ancestors and ended up becoming the estate with largest area of vineyards in the area, with 62 hectares.

Quinta do Vale Meão comes from 35-year-old vines planted in shale, granite and alluvium soils. Three types of soils that require the use of traditional agriculture and careful cultivation of the different native varieties that the winery works with. The harvest is carried out manually at the optimum moment of ripeness.

In the winery, when the Quinta do Vale Meão grapes have been selected, destemmed and crushed, they spend four hours in granite lagares. They are then transferred into stainless steel tanks to begin fermentation at a controlled temperature for eight days. Finally, a portion of the wine is put into a barrel. The aging process lasts between 16 and 18 months with 50% in new barrels and 50% in used barrels.

Quinta do Vale Meão is an intense and complex wine, full of fruity nuances and made using a combination of native varieties from the Douro.

WINE

Varieties: Touriga Nacional,  Touringa franca,  Tinta rotiz

Vintage: 2017

Color:
Very concentrated in colour.

Nose: Deep and complex nose with lots of aromatic nuances, yet maintaining the balance between them.

Palate:
In the mouth it is vibrant, in a set of great elegance, showing an excellent integration of the wood, a surprisingly large variety of flavours, and a very long aftertaste.

How to Enjoy: A delicious wine ideal with roasted red meat dishes, poultry (duck or guinea fowl), and hard to semi-hard cheeses

Production: 2,400 cases made, 200 cases imported.

Ratings:

• 95 Points, Robert Parker, February 2020, USA
• 96 Points, Dinvin Guide, August 2019, Denmark
• 19 Points, Grandes Escolhas, November 2019, Portugal
• 94 Points, Falstaff, October 2019, Austria

• 100 Points, Wine Enthusiast April 2020, USA

• Top 30 Portuguese wines of 2019 by Grandes Escolhas, Portugal

Retail Price:
$163

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