Two from Portugal: Vale Meão 2005 and Casa de Mouraz Elfa 2010

douro portugal

Two from Portugal: Vale Meão 2005 and Casa de Mouraz Elfa 2010

casa de mouraz elfa

Portugal is a wonderful wine country, and one that I’ll be focusing on a bit this year, after having let it suffer mild neglect at my hands. Here are two lovely wines. One, a leading Douro red with almost a decade’s bottle age, and the other a distinctive field blend from Dão.

Casa de Mouraz Elfa 2010 Dão, Portugal
This is a remarkable wine made from a single mixed variety plot of old vines, and aged without any oak at all. It has a distinctive sweet floral nose with perfumed cherry fruit and some violet notes. The palate has a softness and roundness to it, but also wonderfully pure, sweet, ripe black cherries and plums, with some fine dried herb notes. It’s a bit unusual, but it’s fabulous. 94/100

vale meao 2005

Quinta do Vale Meão 2005 Douro, Portugal
This is developing beautifully. Sweet, ripe, pure blackcurrant and black cherry nose is floral with some tar notes. Fresh, vivid, juicy, textured palate with vibrant, youthful black fruits, some spice and a bit of grip. Real purity and freshness here. Linear, pure, smooth but not lacking in structure. 94/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

2 Comments on Two from Portugal: Vale Meão 2005 and Casa de Mouraz Elfa 2010Tagged , ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

2 thoughts on “Two from Portugal: Vale Meão 2005 and Casa de Mouraz Elfa 2010

  1. I recently tasted Vale Meao 2005, and I agree in full with your judgement. A great wine, and drinking beautifully at present. IMO the 2004, 2010 and 2011 are the best vintages produced at the estate so far.

  2. Glad to read this is developing nicely, as I have a couple of bottles squirreled away!
    Jamie, I have read this quite a bit in your notes, what do you mean by ‘linear’?

Leave a Reply

Back To Top