The 2015 Escondido Meio e Meio Touriga Jaen is a fascinating mature red from Portugal’s Dão region, produced by Australian winemaker Michael Wren. Wren previously worked with leading Portuguese producer Esporão and, while running its Douro property Quinta dos Murças, discovered fruit from a high-altitude vineyard in the cooler Dão region that inspired the Escondido project. Dão’s combination of elevation, temperate conditions and granite-dominated soils is particularly well suited to producing Touriga Nacional with perfume, freshness and mineral definition rather than sheer power.
"Meio e Meio" translates essentially as "half and half", referring directly to the blend of 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Jaen, the latter variety being better known across the Spanish border as Mencía. Touriga Nacional provides blue and dark fruit, floral character and structure, while Jaen contributes brighter red fruit, perfume and supple tannins. The 2015 was a particularly cool vintage, and the wine was initially very tightly wound after bottling but has developed beautifully with age. Expect dark cherry and plum alongside brighter red berries, violet, dried herbs, spice and earthy mineral characters, supported by fresh acidity and resolved, savoury tannins.
