95 Mark Squires - Robert Parker's 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."