Bottled in mid-2022 after an extended, seven-year elevage, this stunning wine stands an exemplar of the once common but now exceedingly rare tradition of long-aged Bucelas. Hand-harvested from the traditional calcario soils that flank the Trancão river as it bisects the Bucelas appellation, Arinto and Rabo de Ovelha are fermented with native yeasts in steel tank and the wine undergoes its lengthy elevage on the lees. A small quantity of Sercial (Esgana Cão) is fermented separately, in tank and in ancient barrels, before final blending and bottling.

The resulting wine is firm, bright and resolutely mineral, leesy and tactile, with notes of apple skin, grilled apricot and roasted nuts. Lithe and powerful in equal measure, it bears the signature maritime influence that marks all great Bucelas, combined with an elegance only obtained through its prolonged elevage. It can be enjoyed with fish and shellfish, grilled chicken and pork, and with charcuterie and cheeses. It will continue to evolve and improve in the bottle thru 2040.

keeps until 2035
(50-59ºF)

keeps 2-3 days
(55-59ºF)

5-6 oz. pour
(48-55ºF)

About Quinta do Avelar

Set amid a 243-hectare forest preserve in the rolling hills of Freixial that was once the home of João Camillo Alves, father of modern-day Bucelas, Quinta do Avelar is now owned by the Geraldes Barba family and is perhaps the last great estate of the Bucelas DOC. It maintains several vineyards on the property, each planted to Arinto more than fifty years ago, as well as a ten-hectare vineyard of Arinto, Esgana Cão and Rabo do Ovelha at the valley entrance to the village of Bucelas. Farming is organic (though not yet certified) and under the guidance of longtime winemaker Mario Andrade, the family continues to uphold the tradition of long-aged Bucelas, a historic style now all but disappeared. Full details

About Bucelas DOC

The Bucelas DOC is Portugal's sole 'white wine-only' appellation and is, along with Colares and Carcavelos, one of its smallest, with just 138 hectares under vine. Located twenty kilometers north of Lisbon, within sight of the Tejo River as it opens out to the Atlantic, it is regarded as the native home of Arinto, perhaps Portugal's greatest white wine variety. Its location is providential: While proximity to the Atlantic and its cooling effect lend a distinct maritime influence, it is also sheltered from its more volatile influences by the Serra de Montejunto hills which run north from Lisbon, resulting in a drier and more consistent growing season marked by warm days and cool nights. Its best vineyards are marked by 'caeiras', the calcareous clay-, loam- and crystalline limestone marl soils where marine fossils are not uncommon.

Renowned for centuries, Bucelas wine was referenced by Shakespeare as 'Charneco' in Henry VI and was a favorite of the Duke of Wellington, when it was known to the English Court as 'Portuguese hock' for its perceived similarities to Riesling. Its modern history begins with João Camillo Alves, whose estate dominated the region in the late 19th century and whose influence is still felt in the appellation today. First demarcated in 1911, Bucelas DOC wines are made principally with Arinto, but can incorporate Sercial (Esgana Cão) and Rabo de Ovelha in quantities not to exceed 25%. (Sparkling and late-harvest wines can be produced from this cepage as well.) Its dry wine expressions can be reminiscent of those of the Loire Valley, or Chablis, and under the right conditions are capable of great development in bottle.