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Douro Meandro Tinto
2013
While Quinta do Vale Meão only began bottling under its own label in 1999, the estate has an incredible history. Vale Meão was one of the shrewd acquisitions of the celebrated Douro landowner Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira. In 1877 she purchased 270 hectares of land near Vila Nova de Foz Côa in the Upper Douro, and over the course of the next decade established a model winery, planting all the vineyards from scratch. The Quinta remained in the family and is owned today by Francisco Javier...
See the QUINTA DO VALE MEÃO detail page for more information on this brand
After the end of the harvest in 2011, the rainy weather did not arrive and Autumn was unusually hot and dry. Rain came in late November 2011, not surpassing 100mm, around 25% of the average for this region. The rest of the winter continued with the trend and we started the growing season with almost no water content in the soil. This hindered the bud break of the vine, which was therefore very irregular. Only in late April, early May some rainfall came, about 120 mm, which was important for the survival of plants in a very dry year. However, the average temperature in 2012 was lower than normal in the Douro Superior, with only two heat spikes, one in June and the other in late July. This situation prevented the evolution of vineyard diseases.
In years with these features, plants adapt to conditions and hence this was a year with little vegetative walls, low growth and consequently clusters and smaller berries. This resulted in a yield loss of about 20% with the highest incidence in old vines.
Interestingly, the maturation was slow and no additional production losses occurred as a result of dehydration of grapes. The harvest began on September 4 with Tinta Amarela, followed by Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. The latest were the Tourigas, National and Franca that were harvested on 27 September. The average quality of the musts 2012 is very high.
After being crushed, the grapes were cooled down and trodden by foot during four hours in granite lagares and then transferred to small refrigerated stainless steel vinifying vats. Each grape variety is vinified separately. This wine was matured in second and third year French Allier oak barriques.
Deep red colour. Very live and expressive fruit, and with very good balance on the mouth, showing great elegance and a remarkable long finish.
This wine is named after the majestic oxbow bend taken by the Douro river around the
Meão estate. It is richly structured and with no concessions to immediate softness.
It needs to age to bring its black fruits into full harmony with the structure. Wait to
drink until 2023. Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits
Nicely textured, with smooth tannins, this elegant, full-bodied red is packed with dark cherry, violet, red plum and anise notes that are harmonious and well-integrated. Details of mocha, wild herb and spice cascade onto the finish. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2028.
See detailed press review
The 2018 Meandro do Vale Meão is a blend of 45% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz and dollops of Tinta Barroca and Alicante Bouschet for the rest, all aged for 14 months in used French oak. It comes in at 14.1% alcohol. This is often a can't-miss bargain in Douro, and that seems true again this year. Textured with velvet, concentrated and able to coat the palate, it does everything well. It is not a star in terms of structure—the tannins are ripe and you can drink it now—but everything else works great. It should still hold well for the rest of the decade, more or less. It did thin a bit with extended aeration, but nothing went seriously awry. As approachable as this is, allowing this to have at least six more months in the bottle would allow it to develop more. At the price point, there can't be much to complain about.
See detailed press review
