Moscatel de Setúbal
Moscatel de Setúbal is the third great dessert wine in Portugal , along with Madeira and Port . Like them, the Moscatel de Setúbal is a fortified wine .
Although the wine-growing region around Setúbal has enjoyed appellation status after that of the Douro since 1907, the sometimes outstanding sweet wines from this wine-growing region are almost unknown in Central Europe. Today the former Appellation Setúbal is part of the relatively large wine-growing area Terras do Sado, which includes the Setúbal peninsula and the coastal section adjoining it to the south, the Costa Azul, and its hinterland. Previously consisting of two appellations, this wine-growing area has been summarized in the DOC ( Denominação de Origem Controlada ) Península de Setúbal since 2009 . In the region of Setubal, in addition to the climatic conditions of the Atlantic in the fall, especially by cool and very humid air currents from the Tagus - estuary is characterized, above all, be Muscat and Red Moscato cultivated from which even the Moscatel de Setubal, at least 85 percent exists. These wines can carry the highest Portuguese quality seal for fortified wines VLQPRD ( Vinhos Licorosos de Qualidade Produzidos em Região Determinada ). Wines that contain less than 85% Muscat grapes, but more than 67%, have the Setúbal name of origin. Blending partners are mostly Boais , different Malvasia and Arinto . The nutmeg vines find excellent growth and ripening conditions on the calcareous, sandy and clayey soils of the peninsula. The best locations are in the limestone areas of the Serra da Arrábida .
Manufacturing
The peculiarity of the production process of these wines is that they stand on the mash for a very long time (six months and more) . The grapes harvested late are destemmed and slightly squeezed and placed in mash barrels or concrete tanks, where they ferment for a relatively short time until an alcohol level of around 12 percent by volume is reached with a residual sugar content of less than 100 grams / liter. Then it is fortified vigorously with pure wine spirit, so that the yeasts die and the fermentation stops. This fermentation material is now stored in the fermentation tanks for at least six months, but often up to a year, before it is pressed, filtered and drawn into large oak and sometimes mahogany barrels. The young wine now matures for at least five years, but usually significantly longer, before it is bottled. Originally, selected Moscatels also made the Torna viagem , the voyage to the Portuguese overseas provinces in relatively small barrels , which particularly supported the maturation process. Today modern cellar technology saves this time-consuming process; Wines that have left the Torna are still stored in the cellars of some producers; they are now well over 100 years old and are of the best drinking quality.
Wine characteristics
The Moscatel de Setúbal is a sweet, but never intrusive, alcoholic dessert wine. Successful products have an abundance of exotic aromas in which, in addition to the grape variety-typical nutmeg, nuances of orange peel, cinnamon and coriander as well as a variety of fruit tones can be felt. In wines that have been stored for a long time, caramel and chocolate aromas predominate and the products have an almost thick, creamy consistency. Good Moscatels, especially those that, in addition to the dominant muscat grape, also contain small amounts of must from other grapes, especially the more acidic Arinto and Boais, have a good acid structure . The color of these wines depends on the base wines and the length of barrel aging. Young Moscatels from the yellow muscat grape, i.e. wines of around 10 years of age, are bright, dark yellow, light orange in color. As the barrel matures for a long time, this shade darkens, so that older products are cognac-colored, although the orange shade never completely disappears. Red Muscat wines, the Roxos, are brownish or dark amber in color right from the start. All of these wines are very good, the best of them having an almost unlimited shelf life. They should not be drunk strongly chilled, around 14-16 ° C (slightly colder as an aperitif). They go wonderfully with chocolate or nougat desserts, but also with cheese, such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort .
Overall, the sweet wines from the DOC Setúbal are remarkable, some even outstanding products, which are among the best dessert wines made from the muscat grapes.
literature
- Stephen Brook: Liquid Gold: Dessert Wines of the World . Constable 1987. ISBN 978-0-09-466920-8
- Karl-Heinz Date: Europe's sweet wines. An overview of wine styles. Spree-Books 2015 (Kindle Edition). ISBN 978-3-946125-00-6
- Horst Dippel (ed.): The wine lexicon . Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verl., Frankfurt am Main 1989, ISBN 3-596-24501-X
- F. Paul Pacult: Kindred Spirits: The Spirit Journal Guide to the World's Distilled Spirits and Fortified Wines . Hyperion Books 1997. ISBN 978-0-7868-8172-7
- Roger Voss: Pocket Guide to Fortified and Dessert Wines. Mitchell Beazley 1989. ISBN 978-0-85533-698-1