Santo Isidro Red, Cooperativa Agricola Santo Isidro de Pegôes

Producer Note

Santo Isidro de Pegões was founded in 1958. The cooperative is made up of 140 winegrowers and has access to over 1,100 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. 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 2017 they were 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 on the Southwest. To the east are the Arrabida hills and to the west the Alentejo province's clays. The unique soil here is named "Pliocenico de Pegões". It 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

Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats followed by long pellicular maceration, in order to extract just the right amount of phenolic compounds, tannins, colour and aromas. This wine was made without any oak influence to showcase the purity of fruit from the Castelão variety.

Tasting Note

A flavoursome wine made from the Castelão grape. Soft on the palate with vibrant notes of fresh, juicy red fruits and spicy nuances. Round, smooth and well balanced with a pleasant, fruity finish.

Serving Suggestion

This wine retains a food friendly acidity and works well with herbal scented dishes such as marinated meats or a stew garnished with fresh herbs.

Grape

Castelão 100%