Quinta Vale D. Maria available direct from importer

[David Spriggs]

Here is an offer of two wines from Quinta Vale D. Maria (Cristiano van Zeller). Adventures in Wines imports Quinta Vale D. Maria to the USA. To place an order, please email to orders@adventuresinwine.com or call 415-467-0130.
I have tasted and purchased the 2011 Quinta Vale D. Maria Douro, and it is spectacular!

2011 Quinta Vale D. Maria Douro Red
$512/cs....12/750ml ($44.67/btl)
95 Pts. Wine Advocate

The 2011 Tinto (Vale d. Maria), i.e, the flagship estate wine from the Quinta, is an old vines (65 years) field blend. Approximately three-fourths of the juice was fermented in tank, the rest in lagares. Then transferred to barrel, two thirds of the juice was aged in new French oak for 21 months, the other third in a mixture of second and third pass oak. It is listed at 15% alcohol. Tightly wound, a bit brooding and powerful this year, this is a big boy in terms of structure, showing astringency on the finish, yet it seems also to show fine balance overall, managing to project some elegance, notwithstanding its underlying power. The graceful mid-palate is beautifully constructed, not jammy or thick, but still concentrated. It has a persistent finish. Beneath the oaky overlay, there is fine fruit as well as that impressive structure. This promises to be exceptional if you have a little patience. The next day it seemed far better controlled in tannins and drank far better, the oak still a bit too obvious, but nicely toned down. It also, happily, showed a certain steely nuance, providing some evidence that it might be something other than one-dimensional. This unevolved and rather disjointed Vale d. Maria needs some time to show its stuff, absorb the oak and come around in general. It won't be the wine to buy if you lack a cellar. It is likely on the short list for top vintages from this bottling, though, and it is worth leaning up at the moment. It will probably be around peak in 2018-2020 or so, but it will certainly be approachable sooner. As time goes on, I suspect this won't be the best of the van Zeller 2011s - but it is pretty close and well priced compared to some. There were just 21,400 bottles produced, plus some large format bottles. Drink 2016-2031. Mark Squires eRobertParker.com #210 Dec 2013

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2010 Quinta Vale D. Maria
Curriculum Vitae
$268/cs....6/750ml ($44.67/btl)
94 Pts. Wine Advocate

The 2010 CV is the winery's celebrated old vines (80+ years) blend, aged in a mixture of new (75%) and old barriques for 22 months (meaning that this was just bottled in August, 2012, making it a big, young puppy). Happily (about a full point) lower in alcohol than last year's version, this is well balanced while once again being the deepest wine in the lineup. If it does not quite seem as fresh and elegant as the Vale D. Maria, in its own right it is still rather harmonious and a pleasure to drink, a wine that makes its bones with balance and concentration (relative to the vintage) rather than sweetness and power. It should become a remarkably graceful CV in time. It is a bit oak tinged at the moment, but that should be absorbed well. This is super and I think it is a big success, especially in the context of this vintage. It should be approachable young, but of course it will benefit from a few years in the cellar to allow it to develop some expressiveness. It tightens noticeably with air. There were 6,000 bottles produced, plus some large format bottles. Drink 2015-2026

Mark Squires eRobertParker.com #204 Dec 2012