WTN: Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha 2003 and Meandro 2004

Quinta da Ponte Pedrinha 2003, Dao, Portugal, 13%
Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Jaen

Sweet cherry, red fruit jam, and quite evident aromas of a acceptable oak. In the mouth, pleasant, simple and good acidity, simple and delicate tannins. A good price value but is sad to see the the new vintages with more alcohol, manly if we think that 2003 was a incredible hot year.

Meandro 2004, Vale do Meao, Douro, Portugal, 14,5%
Uva: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and others

Really nice aromas of dark fruit, rubber, and menthol. In the mouth is hot, nice acidity as tannins really young but enjoyable thins. Oak balance but definitely with a really new world style. Probably better with more age.

I realise that my plate in a ingenue way quite like evident aromas of a matured grape, sweet and easy to define. But the alcohol high is a mess. Put the wine in a single line, unidimensional style that is a terrible for my palate. The potential complexity of a wine like a meandro becomes a flat perception for me.

Nice notes. We have a Dao taste session coming up here on this forum next week Marcelo. It will be called Open Mike: Dao..

I met the winemaker from Meandro here in town last year. Very good wines indeed, best put away for a few years.

I met the winemaker from Meandro here in town last year. Very good wines indeed, best put away for a few years.

Sounds like they are well made, but in a supercharged style that won't appeal to many here.

Marcelo, I think you're right in that high alcohol wines seem, other things equal, to deliver more aromas than lower alcohol wines, and that apparent richness tends to please the average drinker. I can't distinguish what part of that comes from the greater volatility/evaporation caused by the higher alcohol, and what part comes from the jammy/cooked/stewed nature of the more mature fruit. But I do have a sense that it makes you lose something in the mouth. Not just acidity, but also a sense of balance, of speaking softly instead of shouting. It's a price I am not willing to pay.

Nice notes. We have a Dao taste session coming up here on this forum next week Marcelo. It will be called Open Mike: Dao..

I met the winemaker from Meandro here in town last year. Very good wines indeed, best put away for a few years.

Very Nice Bob, i will be waiting for that! I also like a lot of Bairrada, there is a lot of good new winemaker`s renewing the portuguese wine. I`m going to post a new WTN from Campolargo soon. Regards!

I agree Oswaldo, but there something here that i didn`t learn yet. For example, in some Italian's wines, a lot of time we have high level of alcohol and also a good integrate pale flavor, for sure Arnaldo Caprai is a good example for that, and also others good wine... so my question is... How can the wine be more integrate sometimes with a new world style? Because i already taste that, and i now that is possible..

True, I've had high alcohol wines that didn't taste "hot" and appeared well integrated, but I can't say what, particularly (other than competent wine making) makes the difference...