2020 Wine & Soul Quinta da Manoella Vinhas Velhas [WS96][WA95][WE95][W&S90]

"Delivering a deft, vivid quality, this red is bright and lively on the palate, while offering a dark, concentrated core of pureed black raspberry and blackberry fruit, crushed rosemary and thyme, licorice, candied violet and graphite notes. Features fine-grained tannins, which serve as a taut, well-integrated frame for the expressive flavor profile, with a minerally streak of crushed stone lingering on the long finish." 

"The 2020 Quinta da Manoella Vinhas Velhas is a field blend (over 30 grapes) from centenarian vines aged for 22 months in 35% new French oak. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol. This seems a surprisingly good competitor for the 2019, although this is not quite as lauded a vintage. Still, the winery says they were able to pick the small production quickly, generally avoiding negative vintage conditions. This shows no problems. There is a fine backbone with controlled power, plus expressive and delicious fruit. This looks able to develop and age. At the moment, it needs more evolution, but there's no rush." 

"Produced from old vines on the Manoella estate, this wine is seriously impressive. With dense tannins and great concentration, the wine has touches of licorice and black fruits."  

"Gamey and borad, this is an international luxury wine with a sense of schist that peers out from the oak in the end. Its oak-first structure gives an impression similar to a mountain-grown Napa Valley Cabernet, at least until the mineral infusion of tannins begins to show."