Quinta do Vale Meao Vintage 2018 port

€ 56.50

Quinta do Vale Meão Vintage Port is a deep colored port made from over 10 grape varieties, with Touriga Franca being the dominant variety. Lush aromas, wonderful intensity and extraordinary concentration, all balanced by a fresh persistence. The exceptional complexity of this wine guarantees a very long aging potential. Very long finish, persistent and greedy.

In the easternmost part of the Douro, close to the Spanish border, we find Quinta do Vale Meão in the Douro Superior. This very famous quinta is the birthplace of Barca Velha, the best known and highly praised Portuguese wine. The quinta is owned by Francisco Javier de Olazabal, the great-great-grandson of Dona Antonia. The former director of the Porthuis Ferreira (until 1999) started producing wine from these exceptional vines with his son, oenologist Francisco de Olazabal y Almeida. and terroir. In 2000 they came on the market with a Vintage Port for the first time. Their Finest Ruby Reserve is of exceptionally high quality. Quinta do Vale Meão belongs to the top of Portugal and you can taste why it is

Food pairing

Great as an aperitif, and as an accompaniment to old hard cheese or, for example, a chocolate cake with cherries.

Grapes: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional & Sousão

From an agricultural point of view, it was a very atypical year. During the winter, the recorded rainfall was extremely low, with a dry period, resulting in a reduced water reserve in the soil. This lack of water and a very cold winter delayed the bud burst of the plants a bit. Very high precipitation values were recorded in early spring. During the months of April and May, the rains continued, increasing the need for attention to combat phytosanitary problems, namely

mildew, doubled. The month of June brought the start of summer, but spring temperatures continued, with cool, rainy days. There were also days with hail. With the arrival of August, temperatures were higher than normal, leading to burns of trusses in some plots. The first red grapes were harvested on September 6 with the Tinta Barroca variety. The last grapes, Touriga Nacional, were harvested on October 4. Despite all the difficulties, the qualitative potential of the wines of the 2018 harvest is very high.

Alcoholcontent

19 %

Store & Serve

Serve at 12-14 °C

Can be drunk immediately and does not need to be decanted. Store bottle upright at a constant temperature and away from intense direct light. Can be kept for 6 weeks after opening

Critics & Awards

4,3/5 - Vivino (1013 ratings)

17/20 - Grandes Escolhas

94/100 - The Wine Advocate Robert Parker

95/100 - Wine Spectator Tasted: Feb 2021

97/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: Mar 2021

While this vintage was not generally declared by all producers, it has resulted in some very fine Ports from the great quintas. This is grandiloquently rich, layering thick tannins with dense black fruits. The texture is full and outwardly rounded—the result of the stone lagar fermentation—but underneath it is impressively structured. Drink from 2029. Roger Voss

Tags: Quinta do Vale Meão - Douro