Quinta do Vale Meão, Douro (Portugal) “Meandro” 2011

($27, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirit): More and more, we are seeing dry red wines coming from Portugal’s Douro region, the home of Port.  And the more I taste, the more I like what I’m seeing.  Although the Quinta do Vale Meão was established in 1998, a principal, Javier de Olazabal, was until then, the managing director of A. A.  Ferreira, the Douro’s oldest Port house.  So let’s say, he no newcomer to the Douro. Quinta do Vale Meão’s Meandro is a robust red that’s remarkably refined and surprisingly easy to enjoy at this stage of its life.  Not just fruit, it conveys savory and earthy notes that make it a pleasure to accompany roasted lamb or other hearty meats.
90 Michael Apstein Aug 5, 2014