2011 Mater-Dôme - Tinto - 15 Anos de Estágio 3 x 0.75L Mêda - Douro Region WINEMAKERS: Mateus Nicolau de Almeida & Teresa Ameztoy. AWARDS/RECOMMENDATIONS 18 Points, Vinho Grandes Escolhas (2007 Vintage) WINE VARIETIES: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz & Tinta Barroca. VINIFICATION Mêda's high altitude and schist/granite transition terroir allows wines to be made that age with great quality without having to be bottled for the second or third year, which is why this wine has an unusually long aging period, both in barrels and in vats. This approach allows the wine to evolve differently from bottle aging, with other oxidation/reduction conditions developing fresh tertiary aromas closer to the original character of the wine. It is a distinct type of wine fining. Classic vinification. Fermentation in tanks followed by 20 days of maceration. Two years of aging in French oak barrels, followed by 13 years of aging in vat. TASTING NOTES Bright and clear. Medium-intensity garnet-ruby color. Initially mineral and precise, it follows with an enveloping aroma of rockrose and forest floor, culminating in ripe fruit notes of strawberry and black cherry. Structured and elegant on the palate, characteristic of a highly balanced vintage like 2011. Lively acidity, silky tannins, and a long finish. SERVING We recommend pairing with game, such as a partridge or wild boar. It is also excellent with ovenbaked fish such as grouper or sea bass. Serve at a temperature of 16ºC to 18ºC. Consume in moderation. HISTORY Mateus Nicolau de Almeida, married to Teresa Ameztoy, is the son of João Nicolau de Almeida (creator of Duas Quintas) and grandson of Fernando Nicolau de Almeida (creator of Barca Velha). Barca Velha was originally made with a mixture of wines from Mêda and wines from Vale Meão Mêda, being an almost transitional region between Douro and Dão, with high altitude, brings an “abnormal” longevity to the wines. Due to the unusual structure combined with the unusual acidity. As Mateus is passionate about the Mêda Region, he started this Mêda wine project (production) many years ago... with commercial start now in 2024. To showcase the unique characteristics of wines from this área. “Mater – Dôme” means in Latin “The Matter of the Heights”….alluding to the wine that is produced at high altitude. But it also has an implicit meaning: Ma = Mateus Ter = Teresa Dome = Denomination Mêda (Mateus argues that Mêda should be its own denomination and not simply included in Douro Superior as it has unique characteristics of the Douro/Dão transition) PLEASE NOTE: This is a recurring auction. The seal number(s) you see on the photos might differ from the one(s) on your bottle(s).