Quinta do Vale Meao, Port 2016 Quinta do Vale Meao

Get to know: Quinta do Vale Meao, Port 2016

Tasting Note

The single Quinta Ports of Vale Meao are sublime wines that are true expressions of their unique place in the Douro. The wines of 2016 vintage are very elegant and balanced, having excellent potential. This is powerful and intense with bold notes of blackberry, black cherry, ripe raspberry mixed with chocolate, coffee, fig notes. The palate is full-bodied and very well structured with vibrant acidity, balanced with sweet ripe fruit, oak, cedar and chocolate note on the amazing long finish. A Port that is enjoyable now and will age wonderfully.

Enjoy this with blue cheese or the soft and creamy Terrincho cheese of the region if you can.

Kate Says

“Quinta do Val Meao stand out among port producers for only using the grapes on their own vineyards to produce their wines. They have a character all their own, and deliver beautiful concentration of fruit with a freshness and sophistication that is very compelling.”

Producer Info

A vineyard steeped in history, this immense Estate is a standard bearer for the Douro and Portugal. Their wines have grace, finesse and boldness. The Olazabal family, proud owners and descendants of the founder, Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, are now writing a significant chapter for this iconic estate and the region. Since 1998, Winemaker Xito Olazabal is at pains to understand the vast pallet of grapes and terroirs he has within his estate, a passion reflected in the character of his wines.

Great experience, skill, and attention to detail are all key to getting the best out of the estate-grown grapes. Mono-culture vineyards, planted by soil type – alluvial, granite, and schist – are all fermented and aged seperately. The resultant wines are then blended together, with different proportions each year, to best represent the estates overall terroir and each vintage’s character.

The year 2016 was marked by a very rainy spring and summer was late to arrive, with a milder May and June than that of 2015, but in August, the average temperature remained higher than that recorded in the previous year. Despite the heat, the rainfall that occurred in the spring was enough to maintain the water reserves in the soil, although there was some loss of production due to scalding of the bunches, especially in plots with exposure to the west. Such conditions delayed the ripening of the bunches a little but due to the excellent climatic conditions recorded during September, it was possible to harvest calmly, waiting for the ideal point of ripening without risk of further rain. In general, the wines of 2016 are very elegant and balanced, and have excellent potential.

After destemming the grapes wwere pressed by foot treading in granite tanks over three days, until the sugar level of the must dropped to the required level. Then it was transferred to the aging tanks and brandy was added to stop the fermentation. A rigorous selection of the best wines resulted in the final blend.

The blend is predominantly Touriga Nacional 60% with the remaining portion made up of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela and Sousão.