Meandro 2013

"The 2013 Meandro do Vale Meão is a blend of 38% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz and 12% miscellaneous grapes aged for 12 months in second and third use Allier barriques. After finishing the first round of tasting, I poured out the glass and took a new one just to make sure I wasn't mixing this up with the Estate Tinto. This Meandro did eventually become a bit less exuberant with air, but it seems full in the mouth on first taste, certainly relative to this level, and bursting with flavor as it airs out and opens up. All the while, it is very elegant. Everything this winery makes is just that, of course. There's a bit of a backbone, too. This is a good bargain in most years, but this year perhaps more than most because while the quality may be up, the price is also coming down--a nice twist to the typical story. While the pricing for the Estate wine and the Port has increased, Meandro is now officially one of the better $20 wines ("Suggested Retail Price") around."

"The name of the wine comes from the huge horseshoe bend of the Douro River that surrounds the Meão vineyards on three sides. This is the second wine of the estate, ripe with tannins and packed with black fruits. It is developing quickly and will be ready to drink from late 2016."