Best Buys $10 And Under

Winemaker Notes:
Lovely dark ruby red, clear and bright with garnet reflexes. Intense and involving aroma. It starts with the final notes of red berries and floral aromas, followed by notes of cocoa and spices. In the mouth it is full, embracing and harmonious, with a fine texture, freshness and persistence. Excellent if drunk now but with great ageing potential.

90 pts Wine Advocate
The 2020 Meandro do Vale Meão is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz and dollops of Tinta Barroca and Alicante Bouschet for the rest, all aged in used French oak for 14 months. It comes in at 14.2% alcohol. This was in bottle about a month when seen. In the tough vintage, this doesn't seem to miss a beat. It's fresh, understated, elegant and full of great fruit. It has ripe tannins for support and some ability to age too. Most of all, it's another nice bargain in this consistent brand.

Bright garnet. High-toned red and blue fruit aromas, tinged with wet stone and violets. On the palate, lush, but with bright acidity to balance the red cherry and pomegranate fruit. White pepper, slate and herbal aromas overlay the core of fruit on a juicy, fresh finish. 30% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Amarela, 20% Tinta Roriz, 10% Rufete, 10% Tinta Barroca, 5% Malvasia Preta, 5% Donzelinho Tinto. Sustainably farmed vineyards planted from 1960 to 1980 in schist soil at 400-600 m (1,232-1,968 ft) elevation. 30% fermented in stone lagar with foot pigeage; other 70% in vat, 100% whole cluster. Maceration – lagar for 8 days; vat for 25 days. Racked to neutral barrel for 1 year followed by 5 months in tank. 100% natural yeast fermentation (no cultivated yeasts).

Xisto Illimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Illimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.

From rabigato, codega, godello and viosinho planted on mica-schist and fermented mostly in old barrels, it has the lemon-mineral punch of great Burgundy, plus a ripe pear fruitiness, white poppy and remarkable density. This is sleek, contemporary white winemaking of the highest order. Bright straw yellow. On the nose, stone and orchard fruit abound, with flinty wet stone and white pepper laid over the dominant aromatics. On the palate, impressively bright and mineral-driven, with a great balance between power and lift. Lemon, green apple, and bosc pear flavors co-mingle with a touch of floral tone and slate minerals. Juicy and mineral-driven all at once. 50% Rabigato, 20% Codega, 15% Gouveio (Godello), 10% Viosinho. 30-45 year old vines, planted to mica schist at 500-600 m (1,640 -1,968 ft) elevation. 90% fermented in used barrel; 10% fermented in stainless steel. All indigenous wild yeast fermentation. Aged in 90% used barrel and 10% stainless steel. 1 year of lees contact with no battonage.

Xisto Illimitado, by famed Douro winemaker Luis Seabra, is a Portuguese analogue to the idea of a “village” level Burgundy. A field blend of 6 varieties planted across 3 subzones in the Douro, Illimitado is a survey of the schist-driven terroir in the appellation. The Douro is the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe, chartered in 1756. Since 1986, the focus has diversified from the early days of fortified wine production in Porto, giving rise to a number of fine table wines that spearheaded the Portuguese wine market in America in the early 2000s. Luis Seabra, former winemaker at Nieeport, has focused his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the valley, and this latest project shows the breadth of style that is achievable in the region. Bright, focused and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is a great introduction to the new Douro.

Dark cherries, ripe blackberries, mocha, violets and sweet spices on the nose. It’s medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins. Structured, with bright acidity and a chewy finish.

80% Tinto Baroroca, combined 20% Gouveio, Arinto, Rabigato
Made in the Palhete style, where a small amount of white grapes coferment with the red grapes, resulting in a light & fresh red with 11% alcohol. Put a chill on it!