About this winery
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
Product notes
The winter of 2017 was extremely hot and dry. From November to March, precipitation values were very low when compared to the average. These values healthy phyto-sanitary conditions with an absence of diseases (mildew / powdery mildew), but the lack of rain brought less vegetative expansion than what would be desired, both in the development of foliage and in the development of the bunches. With such low values of water being recorded in the soils, plant development was limited, leading to an anticipation of about three weeks in the cycle. As the levels of sugars and acids soon approached the intended values, it became clear that is was necessary to anticipate the harvest. We started harvesting the white wines on August 16th with the Rabigato grape variety, and
the red wine harvest began on the 17th with the entry of the Baga grape variety in the winery. This was followed by the Tinta Amarela and Tinta Roriz harvest (19 and 21, respectively). The first Touriga Nacional grapes entered the winery on August 24 and Touriga Franca on August 30. Having the harvest started earlier, it also ended a few days before the usual dates, with the last grapes being received on September 20th. Although the year was hot and dry, the plants resisted well to the extreme dryness recorded, keeping the foliage in good condition until the harvest. From the enologist point of view 2017 will be quite interesting allowing for wines with a very good structure, with a perfect balance of acidity, soft and harmonious wines, with a good potential for aging.
Production notes
Each grape varietal is harvested and vinified separately. After being crushed and destemmed in granite mills, they are trodden by foot. Subsequently, they are transferred to vats where fermentation takes place for eight days. After fermentation, part of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in barrels. The wine is aged 16 to 18 months in 60% new and 40% second-fill oak barrels.
Tasting notes
Very concentrated in colour. Deep and complex nose with lots of aromatic nuances, yet maintaining the balance between them. In the mouth it is vibrant, in a set of great elegance, showing an excellent integration of the wood, a surprisingly large variety of flavours, and a very long aftertaste