About Murgas

The vineyards of Murgas are located in the rolling hills of Freixial, in the western part of the Bucelas region. Situated on a southwest-facing slope, the 12-hectare vineyard sits on limestone soils and marl, growing Arinto (9 hectares), Esgana Cão (1 hectare) and Touriga Franca (2 hectares). Many of these vines were planted over 30 years ago by the grandfather, Sérgio Geraldes Barba, with the balance planted just a few years ago by grandson João Franca. Farming is organic (although not yet certified). After two decades in which grapes were sold off, vinification resumed with a 2017 release. The winemaker is Bernardo Cabral. Full details

About Bucelas DOC

The Bucelas region is located about 25 kilometers north of Lisbon, surrounded by mountains in the valley of the Trancão River. It benefits from a specific micro-climate: damp and cold in winter but temperate in summer, with hot and dry days and cooler nights. The oldest vineyards are found in the traditional ‘caeiras’, basins and rolling hills in the lower valleys. Here the soil is calcareous loam and crystalline limestone, where one finds fossils from the nearby Atlantic ocean. The white grape Arinto has grown in the region for centuries. Referenced by Shakespeare in Henry VI as ‘Charneco’, the wine was renowned in the English court, where it was also known as ‘Lisbon Hock’ and later as ‘Bucellas’. The region was fiercely contested during the Napoleonic invasions (1810s), and fortifications, the Lines of the Torres Vedras, still dot the landscape with stations and lookouts today. In the late 19th century, production and exports blossomed when João Camillo Alves brought renewed attention to Bucelas wines and its scenic vineyards. The demarcated region of Bucelas was created in 1911, encompassing specific localities: Bucelas, Charneca, Vila de Rei, Bemposta, Santo Aleixo, Vila Nova, Chamboeira and Freixial. Rules then and now require the wine to be principally of Arinto grapes, although a small portion of Esgana-Cão (Sercial) and Rabo de Ovelha is permitted. Recognized as the ‘Capital of Arinto’, Bucelas is the only demarcated region in Portugal that is strictly white wine. As red wine came to dominate the domestic market in Portugal, production of Bucelas wine declined. Today eight grower/producers remain. In recognition of its heritage, the region is included on the Wine Route of Bucelas, Carcavelos and Colares – the three historic wines from Lisbon.