Weingut über:
Monte Meao Vinha dos Novos Touriga
-- Weingut: This vineyard, planted in 1996, with the Touriga Nacional grape variety on granite land, has about 3.5 hectares. It owes its name to the fact that it is adjacent to the 'Adega dos Novos' which, in turn, is so named because it was built by D. Antónia Adelaide Ferreira after finding out that the Adega da Barca Velha, previously built, was not large enough to house all the Quinta's production. In the early years, we found that it produced a very distinctive wine, compared to the Tourigas planted in other types of soil. A small amount in the Meandro or Vale Meão blend completely changed the final style of these wines. We then came to the conclusion that, because it had a very distinct identity, it should be bottled without any mixture with other wines. Vinha dos Novos 2009 was our first wine bottled exclusively from a single plot. The 2021/2022 viticultural season unfolded as an unusual year, primarily due to distinctive climatic conditions. Throughout the year, we experienced a warm and dry winter, followed by a similarly warm and dry spring and summer. It is worth noting the consistent lack of rainfall during most of the growing season, along with elevated temperatures recorded in May, July, and August. These weather patterns had a notable impact on the vines and grape maturation. These climatic conditions influenced the development of diseases such as mildew and powdery mildew. However, they also contributed to good phytosanitary quality, which was a positive outcome. Water availability emerged as the principal constraint on the vine's normal development right from the early stages of the growing cycle. At Quinta do Vale Meao, the total rainfall from November 2021 to the end of September 2022 amounted to 225.8mm. This figure represents a significant deviation from the 30-year average of 520.4mm, marking a 57% decrease in precipitation. This trend began during the winter months when only 66.8mm of rainfall was recorded from November 2021 to February 2022. Regrettably, there were no significant precipitation events to replenish soil moisture reserves throughout the year. Despite an initial delay in the start of the vegetative cycle compared to expectations, this delay was swiftly compensated for during the vine flowering phase. Given these circumstances, we were presented with a narrower harvest window than usual. Monitoring grape maturation became a pivotal factor for success. Consequently, we initiated the harvest on August 17, 2022, commencing with the Rabigato white grape variety and concluding on September 23, 2022. Despite these challenges, the production yield turned out to be a pleasant surprise. In 2022 the grapes were trodden by foot for four hours in granite lagares. After this process, they were transferred to wooden vats, where they fermented for about 10 days. The aging took place for 15 months in used 225 liter French oak barrels. Great lively colour. A very unique nose showing floral and citruses notes. In the mouth it keeps the floral profile and shows surprising softness. It has an extraordinary elegance, excellent acidity, with firm but elegant tannins.
