Quinta do Ameal

Photography and writing by Ted Vance.

José Roquette, the owner of Esporão, Portugal’s largest organic wine company, purchased Quinta do Ameal in 2019 from the recently retired Pedro Araujo. Located in the heart of the Lima Valley, within Vinho Verde DOC, the most northwesterly zone which borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and separated from Spain by the Minho River to the north, these 14 organically farmed hectares of the white grape, Loureiro, are grown in the vineyard’s igneous granite bedrock and sandy topsoil. The wines are hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, naturally fermented over 12-15 days at low temperatures (10-15 C), and aged sur-lie in steel for the classic Loureiro and old French oak for the Escolha bottling.

The Lima Valley
Outdoor seating at the Quinta
Our usual accommodations at the Quinta
Pedro Araujo

Quinta do Ameal - 2016 Vinho Verde ‘Escohla’

Price: $42.00
Size: 750ml
Availability: 

Out of stock

Type of Wine: White
Style: High acid, Mineral

Inside the bottle: This wine, made of 100% Loureiro, is a little bit different from the entry-level white from Quinta do Ameal. First, it is selected from what Pedro believes to be the best parcel on the estate. Second, it is vinified in ancient barrels to round out its tense acidity. It brings another level of texture and complexity with wax and devonshire cream next to lemongrass, dried thyme, white flowers, ocean spray, minerality and citrus notes. Once you open the wine, it doesn't immediately jump to its feet, but when it is standing up, its depth can be quite a surprise. In fact, the first time I tasted this wine was a 2002 that Pedro sent us and it seemed like it hadn't aged a day from its bottling ten years earlier. And, local vignerons told Pedro that Loureiro couldn't age… Well, when Pedro makes it, it does!

When I was last in Portugal, I drank Quinta do Ameal's wines with every type of food, from slow-roasted suckling pig, braised and BBQ'd octopus, and Portuguese sea bass that was caught about 15 miles from where this wine is made. Those three dishes were the very best examples of those meats that I have ever had in my life.

Terroir: The recipe here is very simple. Evening ocean breezes keep this area mild in the evening while keeping the daytime temperatures modest. The soil is made purely of granite and therefore imparts gentleness alongside of the intense acidity. The vineyards are organically farmed since the year 2000.

The Wine

Inside the bottle: This wine, made of 100% Loureiro, is a little bit different from the entry-level white from Quinta do Ameal. First, it is selected from what Pedro believes to be the best parcel on the estate. Second, it is vinified in ancient barrels to round out its tense acidity. It brings another level of texture and complexity with wax and devonshire cream next to lemongrass, dried thyme, white flowers, ocean spray, minerality and citrus notes. Once you open the wine, it doesn't immediately jump to its feet, but when it is standing up, its depth can be quite a surprise. In fact, the first time I tasted this wine was a 2002 that Pedro sent us and it seemed like it hadn't aged a day from its bottling ten years earlier. And, local vignerons told Pedro that Loureiro couldn't age… Well, when Pedro makes it, it does!

When I was last in Portugal, I drank Quinta do Ameal's wines with every type of food, from slow-roasted suckling pig, braised and BBQ'd octopus, and Portuguese sea bass that was caught about 15 miles from where this wine is made. Those three dishes were the very best examples of those meats that I have ever had in my life.

Terroir: The recipe here is very simple. Evening ocean breezes keep this area mild in the evening while keeping the daytime temperatures modest. The soil is made purely of granite and therefore imparts gentleness alongside of the intense acidity. The vineyards are organically farmed since the year 2000.

About The Wine

Inside the bottle: This wine, made of 100% Loureiro, is a little bit different from the entry-level white from Quinta do Ameal. First, it is selected from what Pedro believes to be the best parcel on the estate. Second, it is vinified in ancient barrels to round out its tense acidity. It brings another level of texture and complexity with wax and devonshire cream next to lemongrass, dried thyme, white flowers, ocean spray, minerality and citrus notes. Once you open the wine, it doesn't immediately jump to its feet, but when it is standing up, its depth can be quite a surprise. In fact, the first time I tasted this wine was a 2002 that Pedro sent us and it seemed like it hadn't aged a day from its bottling ten years earlier. And, local vignerons told Pedro that Loureiro couldn't age… Well, when Pedro makes it, it does!

When I was last in Portugal, I drank Quinta do Ameal's wines with every type of food, from slow-roasted suckling pig, braised and BBQ'd octopus, and Portuguese sea bass that was caught about 15 miles from where this wine is made. Those three dishes were the very best examples of those meats that I have ever had in my life.

Terroir: The recipe here is very simple. Evening ocean breezes keep this area mild in the evening while keeping the daytime temperatures modest. The soil is made purely of granite and therefore imparts gentleness alongside of the intense acidity. The vineyards are organically farmed since the year 2000.