2017 Quinta do Vale Meão Monte Meão Vinha da Cantina

In the eastern part of the Douro, near the Spanish border, we find Quinta do Vale Meão, birthplace of Barca Velha, the most famous and highly acclaimed Douro. The quinta is owned by Francisco Javier de Olazabal, the great-great-grandson of Dona Antonia Ferreira who bought the quinta in 1877. The former director of the port house Ferreira started making wine in 1998 with his son, oenologist Xito (Francisco) Olazabal. this exceptional terroir. Their first wine, Meao 1999, was immediately named the best Portuguese wine of 1999. It is the most famous quinta in Portugal and is also part of the famous Douro Boys. All the wines they now make guarantee an authentic experience of the Douro wines, of course made from the typical Portuguese grape varieties from the Douro region. Quinta do Vale Meão belongs to the top of Portugal and you can taste why that is!

In addition to the well-known Quinta do Vale Meão Tinto, a number of other very special wines are made at Vale Meão, often in very small quantities. These are wines from vineyards on granite soil, which mature a bit longer in barrel than the other wines of the quinta - the so-called Monrte Meāo wines. These special wines also have a different grape composition.

The Monte Meão Vinha da Cantinha is a 100% Baga and, after macareation in open barrels of around 12 days, matured for 16 months in used French oak and has an alcohol percentage of 12%. The small old Baga vineyard is located on a slate plateau opposite the Bodega Quinta do Vale Meão.

In the glass, the Monte Meão Vinha da Cantinha is dark red in color. Deep and complex with intense aromas of dark fruit, violet, chocolate and licorice, layered without one aroma overlapping the other. Very elegant on the palate with excellent wood integration. You will be surprised by the wide variety of flavors and a very long aftertaste. This is a wine that you must give time. The Baga is a tannic grape that melts beautifully with the acids over time, so advice is to decant it in its early years, but ideally just put it away for 10 years and then enjoy.