Quinta do Vale D Maria, Douro Red, Douro Valley, 2013

Cristiano van Zeller told us that he and his wife bought this property from her family. ‘At the time it was in ruins. So we built a house and winery and revived the vineyard. Now, we have 45 ha of vines.’ Quinta do Vale D Maria Douro Red 2013 is a field blend of 41 grape varieties comprising different parcels and exposures. Harvested by hand (it has to be round here), the fruit was then foot trodden in traditional lagares and aged for 22 months in oak. Of course, you can’t taste the oak in the wine. Mainly because it has been subsumed by the spicy, creamy sloe and damson fruit. The whole ensemble is intense, vibrant and exquisitely balanced.