A walk past the vineyards, flower fields and apiary, followed by a tasting Masterclass led by António Maçanita and James Frost before lunch to see the wine in action.
There is nothing more satisfying than releasing a wine that has been years in the making and being able to show and share it with fellow wine lovers.
“Arinto has been an integral part of Lisbon’s viticultural and winemaking history for centuries. During the Peninsular War, Wellington would send back barrel-loads of Arinto “Portuguese Hock” to England. When we planted this autochthonous variety back in 2013, our ambition was to for the resulting wine to celebrate both Arinto, as a world class variety, with its ageworthy acidity and developing complexity, and also to celebrate the ability of our coastal Lisbon region to shape such a wine. Both with our classic Arinto and also with this Vinha do Marreco, we did not wish to replicate the popular, modern, stainless steel, temperature-controlled, fruit-forward style of Arinto, but rather to recall the barrelled, room temperature-fermented, ‘Old-Time’ Lisbon Arinto that allows the signature, searing acidity to shine and, most importantly, to age. Since the first harvests, we realised that each vintage some barrels were particularly outstanding, and after a series of blind tastings and further evolution, we decided these barrels should be separated and made into a very special, limited release. Vinha do Marreco is the result: two barrels from the 2018 vintage which we believe epitomise both Arinto and Lisbon. We hope Wellington would have approved.”
– James Frost
