Selling Out Quinta, Da Pedra Alta Grab It Now [X2DYL0l4]

The 2018 Melhor Tinto is a 73/20 blend of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, with 5% Sousão and dollops of others. It aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak and comes in at 14.8% alcohol. At a bit under 60 euros in Portugal, this is the winery's priciest offering in this report, following along the "best Tinto" name. The winery calls it "an ultimate expression of the vintage and our quinta, a blend of the best barrels from our lowest and highest elevations on the quinta (between 250 meters and 500 meters above sea level). Grown on schist soils with north, south and west-facing slopes, vine age is between 13 and 18 years old." The winery's Matt Gant adds that it is a "barrel selection of our two best blocks—one close to the Pinhao River (250 meters to 300 meters) planted predominantly to Touriga Franca and matured in French oak barriques, the other at our highest elevation (460 meters to 500 meters) planted predominantly to Touriga Nacional and matured in French oak puncheons"—while the regular Reserva is a "blend of multiple blocks from across the whole quinta and matured in a combination of French oak barriques and hogsheads." Beautifully done, this to some extent looks like a replay of the 2018 Reserva, which is no slouch, and indeed there are similarities. Yet this seems better balanced, more polished and more precise. It adds fine fruit and a tinge of vanilla. The tannins are easily countered by the mid-palate depth. This is in decent form now, but it will certainly get better. It does need to prove it can not only hold but develop. Let's start here while it answers some questions in the cellar. In the meanwhile, if you're not able to spring for this, the Reserva is pretty close for about one-third of the price. There were 1,750 bottles produced.