Vale da Capucha Fossil Tinto

Garnet red in colour. The bouquet shows fresh aromas which are woven from fruity and spice, dominated by notes of cloves, cinnamon, dried red berries and ripe black fruits. The palate brings shows juicy notes of red fruits, spice and mineral nuances, accompanied by fine acidity and a long finish.

Pedro Marques is the fifth-generation in a winemaking family, based in Torres Vedras, just north of Lisbon. He has always been captivated by the subtlety and restrained minerality of the wines of central France, and the idea of ensuring the personality of a vineyard is expressed in the glass. His 13 hectares of vineyards, situated 9 km from the coast, have soils of Kimmeridgian clay with high proportion of ocean fossils, similar to those found in Chablis. The vineyards are bathed by fresh Atlantic breezes, further enhancing the mineral element in the wines and tempering the warmth of the region. He has been certified organic since 2015, no easy task in this humid climate. His main plantings are white grapes – predominantly Portuguese Arinto and Fernão Pires plus a little Alvarinho, Gouveio, Viosinho and Antão Vaz. He also has a co-planting of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz; a site with 80+ year old Castelão; and a small parcel of Syrah. In his own word he follows a 'lazy' approach to winemaking.