The 2011 Vintage is a blend of 60% Touriga Franca, 20% Touriga Nacional, 5% Tinta Barroca, 5% Tinta Roriz, 5% Sousao and 5% of other varieties, trodden by foot in lagares. At first I was not too sure of the Quinta do Vale Meao, but just leaving my glass to one side for 30 minutes, it developed promisingly in the glass, offering fragrant scents of California raisin and fresh prune, hints of clove and smoke that are well-defined. The palate is well-balanced, with fine tannins encasing a core of ripe red and black fruit, plus there is a lovely honeyed, almost mellifluous texture towards the finish. This will be one of the more approachable 2011 declared Ports and one that is well worth seeking out. Tasted May 2013.The grapes from Quinta do Vale Meao were sold to Ferreira S.A. until 1994. By that time, Francisco Javier de Olazabal, a descendant of the Ferreira family, managed to acquire all the shares in the Quinta and it was separated from Ferreira in the late 1990s; since then it has operated as an independent concern.Importer: W. J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-WINE

The 2009 Tinto, the winery’s flagship label, is a blend of Touriga Nacional (57%), Touriga Franca (35%), with 5% Tinta Barroca and just 3% Tinta Roriz – most of that went into the Meandro this year. Quite powerful, this is more refined than the Meandro; it shows more finesse and elegance in the mid-palate, while remaining intense on the finish. Like the Meandro, it is in a difficult place at the moment and really needs some time to come around, but I think the combination of intensity, structure and finesse are going to make this a big winner as time goes on. This is a powerful wine – let it settle down. It may be approachable sooner, and my drinking windows accounts for that, but I really suspect it won’t get anywhere near peak until about 2016-2019. There were 2,300 cases produced. Drink 2014-2025. Importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Harrison, NY; tel. (914) 251-3209.

Ripe, lively violet and cherry bouquet. Juicy, mouthfilling fruit, a savoury, smoky complexity and careful oak influence. It has nice concentration and is well poised. Approachable and engaging. Drink: 2012-2016. Alc: 14.5%. (17.67 points)

The 2008 TINTO, the winery’s flagship label, is a blend of Touriga Nacional (55%), Touriga Franca (30%), Tinta Roriz (10%) and Tinta Barroca (5%). Ethereal, showing its oak a bit too much in its youth, and reminding me just a little of fine Rioja, this seems otherwise and remarkably graceful early on, a wine that has a Burgundian feel in the mid-palate. It has that stereotypical iron-fist-in-velvet-glove demeanor, too, as it packs quite a powerful punch underneath the initially elegant and oaky demeanor. The oak should integrate with time, but make no mistake about it, there is a lot more here than oak and this wine has a lot of upside; as with a lot of 2008s, it just may not all be apparent early on. Drink 2012-2028. Importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Harrison, N.Y.; tel: (914) 251-3209.