I fondly remember drinking the wines of Quinta do Ameal in Portugal, especially on my first trip in 2002. Asking for high-end Vinho Verde definitely got the attention of the top sommeliers. I even had the chance to drink several older bottlings available but not noted on wine lists. 

Quinta do Ameal's focus on Loureiro made former owner Pedro Araújo something of a local hero, even if some of the same locals surely thought he was crazy when he began bottling ambitious, varietal Loureiro wines. Perhaps he believed that the Benedictine monks of the Convento de Refóios - which is believed to have owned the property as far back as 1710 - must have known what they were doing in their vineyards; monks usually did! Of course, Pedro did as well. His family owned the Ramos Pinto Port house until his father and grandfather sold it. His father then purchased Quinta do Ameal in the Ponte de Lima sub-zone of the Vinho Verde region. (Just last year, it was Pedro's turn to sell, which he did to the highly respected house of Esporão.)

The Ponte de Lima district is special because its climate is milder than the rest of the rainy, cool Vinho Verde due to the proximity of the Lima River. Additionally, the soils are primarily granite rather than sandy loam.

The Escolha, Loureiro and Solo Único are varietal Loureiro and are estate-grown. The Bical Amarelo is made from estate and bought-in fruit and is a blend of 40% Loureiro, 30% Alvariñho and 30% Avesso.

92
Quinta do Ameal 2017 Escolha Vinho Regional Minho 12% $40
This Loureiro with a lemon and linseed nose delivers an impressive juxtaposition of texture and strict tension on the palate. There is delightful intensity and vinosity that is emphasized by the wine's lightly gripping and ravishingly fresh focus. It is fascinating that there is such depth and breadth of body on a relatively low, 12% abv wine with a vividly acidic core. This is due in part to its solid concentration and also its fermentation and aging in oak barrels for six months. This is layered with complex flavors of sesame, oatmeal, yellow pear skin, donut peach and pomelo. It will age nicely.
Drink: 2021-25 

92*
Quinta do Ameal 2019 Solo Único 11.5% $28
The Solo Único hails from a single plot with granite soils, unique in the region. It was vinified in stainless steel tanks and concrete eggs. This light-bodied wine shows an exquisite balance of tantalizingly bracing acidity juxtaposed against a nicely mealy mid-palate texture. The flavors are pink grapefruit, pomelo, lime leaf and a hint of rising dough. Juicy yet stridently refreshing, this has a terrific, sassy energy!
Drink: 2021-25 

88
Quinta do Ameal 2019 Vinho Verde Loureiro Ponte de Lima 11% $18
Pale straw with a strong lemon character, this wine is dynamically fresh and youthful. A mild mid-palate plumpness calms the crackling acidity. A pleasant, lightly bitter tug dominates the back palate. Peach pit, yellow plums, cherries and white flowers prevail until the salty finish. As with the others, this is as defined by its brisk structure as by its distinctive aromatics. 
Drink: 2021-23 

87
Esporão 2019 Vinho Verde Bico Amarelo 11.5% $12
Deep yellow in color, this wine feels surprisingly ripe for an 11.5% wine, both on the palate and in its flavors. The attack is brisk and dry but the palate feels broad and shows a surprisingly intense creaminess. Interestingly, there is none of the typical spritz of Vinho Verde. The aromas of lemon zest, Marcona almond and yellow plum follow onto the palate, where a surprisingly pithy bitterness becomes the palate focus. The finish is brief, save a lingering leesiness. This is the first vintage of this cuvée, whose name means "yellow beak".
Drink: 2021-22