Palacio da Bacalhoa
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2033
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb, grilled ribeye steak, mature hard cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Palacio da Bacalhoa is a landmark Portuguese red that pays tribute to the magnificent 15th-century Palace of Bacalhoa, an architectural jewel once belonging to the Portuguese royal family. Located in the Peninsula de Setubal, the estate's vineyards benefit from a unique microclimate where Mediterranean warmth is tempered by cool Atlantic breezes, resting on rich clay-limestone soils. This wine represents a classic Bordeaux-style blend crafted in Portugal, combining structure, elegance, and deep historical roots. It is aged in new French oak barrels, resulting in a complex, age-worthy masterpiece adorned with notes of dark berries, spices, and well-integrated wood.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1922 under the name João Pires & Filhos, Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal has grown into one of Portugal's most significant and pioneering wine enterprises. Modernized in the 1970s and subsequently acquired by arts patron Comendador José Berardo in 1998, the group encompasses historic estates such as Quinta da Bacalhôa, Quinta do Carmo, and Caves Aliança. Spanning roughly 1,200 hectares across the Setúbal Peninsula, Alentejo, Bairrada, Dão, Douro, and Vinho Verde, the group cultivates indigenous and international varieties on diverse terroirs ranging from Setúbal's clay-limestone slopes and sandy maritime soils to Alentejo's schist-strewn plains. Viticulture is practiced sustainably under certifications like the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP). Led enologically by Francisco Antunes, Bacalhôa balances classical heritage and cellar innovation, renowned for historic benchmark cuvées including the barrel-fermented Catarina, age-worthy Quinta da Bacalhôa Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Quinta do Carmo reds and whites, traditional-method Aliança sparkling wines, and rare, concentrated Moscatel de Setúbal.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
🍷 ABV
14-14.5%