WINES

LISBON WHITES

WINES

LISBON WHITES

From the citrusy freshness of arintos to the floral elegance of encruzados, there is a portuguese white wine for every palate and occasion

Close to Lisbon, the tradition of vineyard cultivation resists the expansion of urban areas. Bucelas and Colares are regions that stand out for their unique and historic wines. Further away from the Atlantic coast, the vineyards cultivated in Bucelas benefit from a specific microclimate and an exceptional terroir. Its Arinto wine has been a reference for centuries. The region of Colares is closer to the sea, resting on two hills in the Serra de Sintra, and produces famous red wines aged in wood.

Bucelas
Bucelas was demarcated by royal charter in 1908. Located 25km north of Lisbon, it is the only Portuguese region suitable for producing only white wines.

Here, the Arinto grape is the protagonist with a minimum of 75%, the balance made up with Esgana-Cão (Sercial) and Rabo de Ovelha varieties. The microclimate marked by the influence of the fogs from the Tagus River, the winds that blow from the Atlantic Ocean, and the clay-limestone soils full of marine sediments give the Arinto variety a mineral contribution and firm acidity. This results in wines with a strong character, dryness, elegance and the ability to age.

The unique style of Arinto wine from Bucelas dates back to the Phoenicians and Romans. It was mentioned by Shakespeare, in his play Henry VI, and made famous in the English court by General Wellington, where it was known as Lisbon Hock.

In its complex white wines, with a citrine colour and fruity flavour and aroma, acidity and minerality stand out. These special white wines have been given awards nationally and internationally. Here are those I recommend:

Morgado de Bucelas
Sociedade Agrícola Boas Quintas started to produce wines in 1991 in the Dão region. In 2010, it extended its area of production to other regions, including Bucelas. Its citric-coloured white wine, produced from the Arinto grape variety, presents lime, green apple, and mineral aromas.
On the palate, it highlights freshness and minerality, with a persistent finish.

boasquintas.com/en/produto/morgado-de-bucelas/

Murgas White DOC Bucelas
The Quinta das Murgas family estate is located in Bucelas. The wine business was important for the family and the relationship João França shared with his grandfather who he accompanied on his daily walks through the vineyard, and helping with the harvest led João to develop a taste for quality wine. Murgas was born in 2017, taking its name from the Quinta where it is produced.

Arinto grape ensures musts with a high acidity content; Murgas Bucelas is a wine with a serious and deep character, and great longevity.

en.murgas.pt/loja/p/vinho-branco-murgas-lisboa 

Colares
The smallest wine region in Portugal, Colares is also probably one of its most distinct. Located on the coastline of Sintra between the hills and the Atlantic, the region owes its fame to the amazing wines produced in the sandy soil close to the ocean. The nearby Cabo de Roca is the westernmost point in continental Europe that was described by Portugal’s great poet Luis de Camões as: “onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa” (where land ends and the sea begins).

The vines have to be protected from the winds, humidity, and salt from the sea; the traditional dried-reed fences that surround Colares’ vineyards are a centuries-old solution to this problem.

Another reason why these vines are so special is that they fought phylloxera, the plague that wiped out most European vineyards in the late 19th century. While almost all of the vines in Portugal were dying, this small region resisted these pests, thanks to the sandy soil and the vines’ deeper roots.

Since the 13th century, Colares wine received a nobility distinction; after the phylloxera disease, it became the first Portuguese table wine.

Soil is key in this region. The sandy and the heavy clays are fundamental to Colares’ viticulture. Wines made from vines planted on any other soil type cannot be legally sold as Colares.

The grape varieties are, like the region itself, distinct and different. The queen is the red Ramisco, which gives pronounced acidity and a great concentration of tannins. Although Ramisco is genetically linked to Pinot Noir, it is inimitable, and extremely elegant.

When it comes to the whites, one of the main grapes is the Malvasia of Colares, which is exclusive to the region, and Galego Dourado, which helps to balance some of the stronger acidity that in cooler years the Malvasia de Colares may have.

Be sure to taste the wines of Colares, if you like unique and unforgettable experiences. Here are my recommendations for wine tours and tastings:

Casal Sta Maria Malvasia
To be considered Colares DOC, the grapes haveto grow in the region’s sandy soil; wines made from grapes growing in clay soil are called Vinho Regional de Lisboa.

This is the type of wine produced by Casal de Santa Maria, a winery with a romantic story behind it.

In the 1960s, Baron Bodo von Bruemmer, originally from the Baltics but living in Switzerland, decided to retire in Portugal and fell in love with a beautiful farm close to Cabo da Roca, which he renovated with utmost care. The gardens also needed considerable work – in fact a lovely blue and white tiled fountain, hidden for years by overgrown bushes, was not discovered until 2006. The baron didn’t begin making wine immediately – he was preoccupied with farming and his successful horse-breeding business, but after his wife Rosário died in 1994, he planted 5,000 roses next to the vineyards as a tribute to her. That explains Casal’s dreamlike landscape where roses bloom amongst the grapes against the backdrop of the blue ocean. And this brings us to the name of the rosé, Mar de Rosas (Sea of Roses).
casalstamaria.pt/shop/mar-de-rosas-0-75l/

In 2006, despite being 96 years old, the Baron decided to start producing wine; as he saw it, there’s no such thing as too late or too old. Ten years later, he accomplished his dream with the help of his grandson Nicholas. When he died that same year, Nicholas moved to Casal de Santa Maria with his family, keeping the heritage alive.

The grapes are grown in clay, not sandy soil, but they still produce surprisingly salty whites under the name Casal de Santa Maria. This bright greenish-coloured wine from the Malvasia grape has light floral aromas characteristic of the variety, fresh and vibrant notes of anise and tangerine.

casalstamaria.pt/shop/malvasia/

Malvarinto
Quinta de San Michel is located between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The vineyard was planted in 2013, in typical sandy soils. In 2017, the winery launched one of the unique wines in the region, a blend of the Arinto and Malvasia grapes, which has become the Quinta’s hallmark.

The wine is straw yellow in colour, fresh, and with excellent aromatic complexity, with notes of citrus, peach, pineapple, seaweed, coconut and some balsamic. On the palate, it has a vibrant acidity, and at the end a saline component that gives it a long and persistent finish. It pairs well with meat dishes such as suckling pig or oven-roasted lamb.

quintadesanmichel.pt/en/wines/malvarinto/

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