Meandro do Vale Meão Blanco 2023

Quinta do Vale Meão is one of the estates behind the Douro Boys, the group that pushed Portugal beyond Port and into serious dry wine. This white comes from Arinto and Rabigato planted on the steep schist terraces of the Douro Superior, where the broken slate soils drain hard and force the vines deep for water. Warm days and cooler nights slow the ripening, so the grapes hold their natural acidity while the fruit fills out. Arinto brings the backbone of lemon and green apple, while Rabigato adds white flowers and a rounder stone fruit note. The wine is fermented and held in stainless steel for seven months, with no oak, so the fruit and the mineral character of the schist stay in the foreground. It pours pale with a green tint. The nose is citrus and orchard fruit over white flowers, and the palate is dry and taut, with white peach, pear and a saline, stony finish that reflects the terraces it grew on. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees in a standard white glass.