Adega Belém

Catarina and David present their first-ever DOP Carcavelos, colheita 2021, made from Castelão grapes planted in the vineyard of Quinta de São José de Caparide, a parish on the coast of Estoril within the DOP Carcavelos. Located on the Cascais peninsula to the northwest of Lisbon, the vineyard is planted less than a kilometer away from the south facing bay of Estoril and shielded from the north-western Atlantic winds by the western slopes of the Sintra mountain range.

A constant cool breeze combined with hot afternoons allows the grapes to slowly ripen over an extended period and reduces fungal disease risks. Handpicked in early September, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, and allowed to ferment spontaneously in open vats until reaching 60gr of sugar/L (about 3-4 days). The fermentation is then stopped through the addition of brandy (aguardente vínica) bringing the wine to 17,5% alcohol. The wine is left in a stainless steel tank at the winery in Belém for an additional 6 months skin maceration, with a monthly bâtonnage, to add complexity to the aroma and increase the concentration of tannins. Once pressed, the wine spent two more years in the barrel cellar slowly aging in neutral French oak barriques.

Made using red grapes only and having aged for “only” two years in oak barrels, with still fresh red fruit aromas, especially cherry, raspberry, and plum, almond, eucalyptus, spices, and the DOP Carcavelos-typical salty fim de boca. This very first colheita comes in a limited edition of 500 bottles only, in 50cl bottles with high quality corks. Adega Belém DOP Carcavelos is good to drink now, or age for another 10 to 100 years.