The varietal Merenzao 2017 Capricho seems unusually dank and juicy and is more fruit-driven, with less varietal character. It has 14.2% alcohol and feels ripe, young and primary, with a mellow palate and soft acidity. The destemmed and crushed grapes fermented with neutral yeasts during 10 days with soft pumping overs, and then the wine was put in barrel to go through malolactic fermentation. The élevage was part in used French barrique, part in stainless steel and lasted for 10 months. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2018.

The pale and delicate 2016 Capricho de Merenzao is certainly better than the last few vintages I've tried of this varietal Trousseau from two different plots of young-ish vines in different places. It fermented de-stemmed and crushed with neutral yeasts and aged in used French oak barrels and stainless steel vats for ten months. It's fresher and creamy with some honey-like aromas, hints of pollen and red berries that make it attractive but not very varietal. The palate is medium-bodied and soft with fine-grained tannins and good tension. I'd be curious to see how this evolves. 6,270 bottles were filled in September 2017.

The 2015 Capricho de Merenzao is produced with the grape known as Trousseau. It was cropped from two plots, fermented with neutral yeasts and aged in used French barriques and stainless steel for ten months. It has the ripeness and warmth of the vintage but manages to keep a lightness, with red fruit and floral aromas. The medium-bodied palate is soft, tender, easy to drink and with intense minerality. This has a more commercial profile, lusher than the 2008 I tasted next to it. 6,570 bottles were filled in September 2016.

Merenzao is the local name for the Trousseau from the Jura, a finicky grape that produces light-colored, fragrant reds. The 2013 Capricho de Merenzao is Ponte da Boga's interpretation of the grape and vintage; the grapes are from a plot of vines planted by the winery in Ala?s, a south-facing vineyard at 350 to 500 meters altitude on schist soils. The destemmed and crushed grapes fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts for some ten days with soft pumping over and a further ten days of post fermentative maceration. Thirty percent of the volume was matured in a mixture of 228- and 500-liter oak barrels for ten months while the rest was kept in stainless steel. This is a light and rather simple, young red with a soft palate, easy to drink, but it lacks the character I was expecting. 2,562 bottles were filled in September 2014.

The 2010 Capricho de Merenzao comes from 11-year- old-vines in the Costa de Alais parcel between 350 and 500-meters with partial aging in French oak. It has a clean raspberry and kirsch-scented bouquet: simple but pleasurable. The palate is nicely balanced, the oak remaining in the back seat and allowing the fresh sappy red berry fruit to do the talking. The finish shows good weight with cracked black pepper on the aftertaste. Fine. Drink now-2015. Adega Ponte da Boga is situated in Terra de Caldelas along the River Sil and the focus here is mainly upon red Mencia grapes. This appears to be a strong, reliable portfolio of wines. No known US importer.