Quinta de Chocapalha - Castelão, Vinho Regional de Lisboa, Portugal (2022)

TASTING NOTES

Intense red colour. Very fruity, elegant and charming wine with amazing sweet and silky tannins. The aftertaste is long and very fresh.

The grapes, which were previously de-stemmed, went through a pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures during 12 hours. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with during 10 days, not exceeding 26ºC. The aging and malolactic fermentation occurred 50% during 14 months in used French oak barriques.

Climbing the Serra de Montejunto mountain range reveals a landscape that enchants the senses. A scenery made from green fields, not only of vineyards, and the blue ocean.

Quinta de Chocapalha is nestled in those undulating hills that extend down to the Tagus River. The road, which comes from Aldeia Galega da Merceana, has a unique charm, adorned with large, centenary trees.

However, not everything suited the objectives that the Tavares da Silva family had in mind, which led Paulo Tavares da Silva to dedicate his efforts to study. He also wanted to hear from the older people in the villages, who knew secrets about this region’s nature. Since the beginning, the project has been based on using the best tradition has to offer and combining it with modern knowledge and technology.

Although the estate’s potential to produce great wines was recognised long ago, that objective changed over time. When the Tavares da Silva family came to Quinta de Chocapalha, the grape varieties planted were aimed to achieve production quotas and were in poor condition. Restructuring the vineyards was unavoidable to succeed in producing wines that better reflected this estate’s special terroir