2022 Quinta do Vale do Meao

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 praised 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 from this exceptional terroir in 1998 with his son, oenologist Xito (Francisco) Olazabal. Their first wine, Meao 1999, was immediately declared 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 make now 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 is one of the top in Portugal and you can taste why!

The Quinta do Vale do Meão is the flagship of one of Portugal's best wineries. The wine is a blend of the authentic Portuguese grapes 35% Touriga Franca, 60% Touriga Nacional and a mix of Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca which complete the blend, all matured for 16 months in 40% new French oak and 60% 2nd year oak. The grapes come from vines 45-50 years old. This is a wine which is wonderfully balanced and extremely elegant. Nothing is too much or too dominant and in the Wine-Advocate we also speak of the "Wow-moment" at the Quinta do Vale do Meão. This wine is simply irresistible. The wine has a complex nose with many aromatic nuances without overlapping with another scent. Red fruit, leather, espresso, a touch of tobacco and spices we smell in the nose. The wine is medium to full bodied with an excellent (read: not overpowering) integration of wood. Now every comparison with this wine is a bit flawed but it can best be compared with a good, elegant Burgundian that can also combine freshness and elegance. The Meao was in the top 3 in the Winespectator Top 100 of the world's best wines!