Quinta do Vale Meao: Vintage Port 2021

Weingut über: Vintage Port

-- Weingut: Resulting from a rigorous selection of the best Port wines of a single year, it is made from than 10 grape varieties, with Touriga Franca being the dominant one. Classical vinification method in granite lagares with mixed grape varieties keeping 100% of the stems. The must is cooled down in order to allow the crushing by foot to take place for as long as possible, before fermentation begins. After its start occurs spontaneously, the mechanical crushing is carried out regularly until the pressing, and subsequent addition of selected grape spirit, take place. The wine is aged in large wooden barrels and vats and bottled two years after the harvest. It was a relatively quiet wine-growing year as compared to previous years, despite being marked by very localized hailstones. The vineyards of Quinta do Vale Meao were in no way harmed by this occurrence. Winter was not rainy (171.4mm), a situation that was also observed in spring (107.4mm) and summer (93.6mm). Temperatures were normal for the respective seasons. This allowed that at the beginning of the harvest, in general, the vines were well in terms of foliage, green, lush and with bunches in excellent phytosanitary condition. These weather conditions meant that the maturations were constant throughout the harvest. Downy mildew and powdery mildew had no significant impact on production. Proof of this was the increase in production of around 17% compared to 2020. The harvest started on the 19th of August and ended on the 27th of September. It was an extraordinary year for the white wines, which are very aromatic, with vibrant acidity combined with an excellent volume in the mouth. Red wines are very balanced with good structure and concentration. Resulting from a rigorous selection of the best Port wines from a single year, it is made from more than 10 grape varieties, with Touriga Franca being the dominant one. The classical vinification method is applied using our century old granite lagares, with mixed grape varieties and keeping 100% of the stems. After crushing, the must is cooled down. In the same evening of the day of the picking footreading is made in the lagares, for the duration of four hours. Fermentation begins spontaneously and the mechanical crushing is done regularly up until the pressing and addition of selected grape spirit. The wine is aged in large wooden vats and bottled 22 months after the harvest. The typical method of treading the grapes in granite lagares allowed for the expression of all the amazing characteristics of this vintage: opulent aromas, fantastic intensity, extraordinary concentration, balanced by lingering freshness. This exceptional complexity will provide long ageing potential.