2004 Quinta do Vale Meao

The 2004 Tinto (Quinta do Vale Meao) is what other estates would call a reserve wine—in essence, a selection of their best lots. The blend roughly includes Touriga Nacional (60%), Touriga Franca (20%), Tinta Roriz (15%) and Tinta Barroca (5%). Not seen in this vintage since the end of 2006 (written up in early 2007), this was a beauty at the time, and it still is. In fact, it is better developed and more interesting. That's what you want to see for your effort in storing and aging a wine. As time has gone by, it has lost the bursts of fruitiness that were initially there and made it so tasty. That's no surprise, but it hardly seems old. It is more harmonious, more complex and better knit together, but there is not a hint of decay as it approaches its 20th anniversary. It is still vibrant, with grip on the finish. It easily seems capable of improving more. In structure, it has some power, but the fruit profile is more understated. The mid-palate finesse makes the wine very elegant. I'm always deliberately cautious on drinking windows, but this has easily exceeded even what I was really thinking at the time. It should continue to age very well, developing more. It can still improve. It's a fine performance from a winery that was still young and finding its way at the time. The pricing reflects current release pricing.