Lavradores de Feitoria Quinta da Meruge, Douro, Portugal

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The 2019 Meruge is an 80/20 blend of Tinta Roriz and a field blend from old vines (45+ years), all aged for 12 months in new French oak. It comes in at 14.4% alcohol. Darker in flavors, with some bitter chocolate around the edges, this is a well-focused and precise Meruge that has moderate tannins for support and strong flavors. It's never jammy or sweet, though, and always well balanced. This should age reasonably well, but it might be better when young or in the mid-term. Right now, it's very appealing and hard to resist. It seems to have a bit of a ceiling, though, because it also seems to have very little upside potential. This is not imported but runs around 22 euros in Portugal.

The 2017 Meruge is an 80/20 blend of Tinta Roriz and a field blend from old vines (45+ years), all aged for 14 to 18 months (depending on lot) in new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. This is always an elegant bottling in terms of its mid-palate. Mostly, that is true this year as well. It has better structure than some of the lower-level reds and some grip on the finish. In structure and finesse, it is a step up. The wood, however, gives this a generic feel just now. The wine is creamy, soft and laced with vanilla. While the structure is a bit of a step up on the lower level, it is still fairly modest. Ultimately, if this can pull in the wood, it should be a graceful red, a nice restaurant wine and a house pour with a little distinction. Give it a year in the cellar—more for the oak and development than the modest tannins. It will probably improve.

The 2016 Meruge is an 80/20 blend of Tinta Roriz and a field blend from old vines (45+ years), all aged for 14 to 18 months (depending on lot) in new French oak. It comes in at 14% alcohol. This is another Meruge that has a bit of funk on opening, with some char and game as an aromatic overlay. It follows onto the palate as well. After that, it is wonderfully fresh and graceful, as is also typical. It can sometimes seem a little delicate, but it is also persistent. I loved its silky texture and the mid-palate finesse. The tannins are mostly ripe, so this can be approached even now, considering how young it is. That said, it will be better in 2020 for sure. I confess that Meruge is never my personal favorite of this co-op's offerings, but reasonable minds may differ. Its elegance and precision often compensate for the aromatics. This might be entitled to an upgrade in evaluation if it can pull its components together in a year or two. It may age better than seems apparent on first taste. You can dive in, though; it's not drinking too badly right now.

The 2014 Meruge is mostly a Tinta Roriz, but 20% of the juice is a field blend from old vines (60+ years). It was aged in new French oak for 12 months. Showing some of the funk I tend to find on these wines, this does have some good news. In a very difficult vintage, it holds its own, showing reasonable concentration for its level and a fresh feel. There isn't a lot of power or intensity, to be sure, and it drinks rather well right now. Don't expect it to reward long cellaring, but it can certainly hold a few years.

The 2013 Meruge is mostly Tinta Roriz, with 20% of a field blend added in, aged for 12 months in new French oak. Elegant and clean, this will pull in the oak with another year or so in the cellar, but it drinks well now. There isn't a lot of concentration, but it has a lively feel to go with its graceful demeanor. This should age pretty decently, but it doesn't require--and most likely won't reward--long aging.