Description

PRODUCER:
Santo Isidro de Pegões was founded in 1958 and has subsequently seen significant investment in the winery and vineyards. Today, the cooperative is made up of 100 winegrowers and has access to over 1,200 hectares of vineyard located in the Terras do Sado area of the Setúbal Peninsula. This coastal area benefits from mineral-rich sandy soils and cooling Atlantic winds, in which indigenous varieties thrive. Santo Isidro de Pegões is one of the most forward-thinking cooperatives in Portugal, and their chief winemaker, Jaime Quendera one of Portugal’s most respected winemakers. In 2018, Santo Isidro de Pegões was awarded the Portuguese Wine Producer of the Year Trophy from the IWSC.

VINEYARD:
The Pegões vineyard is located between two Nature Reserves: the Tagus estuary to the northwest and the Sado to the southwest. To the east are the Arrabida hills, and to the west the Alentejo province’s clays. The soil here is named “Pliocenico de Pegões”, which is a sandy soil formed over millions of years by sand transported by the rivers Tagus and Sado. It is this Mediterranean climate and soil combination that creates this unique Pegões terroir.

WINEMAKING:
The vines were harvested at the end of August. The grapes underwent a short skin maceration followed by fermentation with selected yeasts in 225-litre American and French oak barrels. Bâtonnage took place once per week, imparting complexity and texture. The wine was then aged for approximately three months in oak barrels, followed by six months to one year in the bottle, before being released.

TASTING NOTE:
A full-flavoured wine with fruity aromas of orange blossom and fresh fruits, which work in harmony with the oak spice. Rich and opulent on the palate with a creamy vanilla spice and a persistent, elegant finish.

GRAPES:
Antão Vaz 25%, Arinto 10%, Chardonnay 10%, Fernão Pires 30%.