Quinta do Vale Meão 2023

Quinta do Vale Meão is the flagship red of F. Olazabal & Filhos, made at the family estate near Vila Nova de Foz Côa in the upper Douro. Francisco Olazabal and María Luísa Nicolau de Almeida farm 62 hectares of vines descended from one of the region's most historic estates, working the native Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. The vines root into the Douro's broken schist, a heat-retaining stone that forces the roots deep in search of water and concentrates the fruit while the valley's hot days and cooler nights hold the structure together. After fermentation the wine spends sixteen months in oak barrels, where measured oxygen exchange through the wood softens the abundant tannins and adds spice and a fine smokiness, while malolactic fermentation broadens the texture. It pours deep and dark. The nose shows ripe plum, black cherry and black pepper over leather, liquorice and dark chocolate. The palate is full and tightly structured, with dense tannins and a long, mineral finish that reflects the schist. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted, with roast beef, lamb or game.