Vintage - 2018

Country - Portugal

Region - Península de Setúbal

Grape Varieties - Castelão 100%

Alcohol by volume - 12.5%

Bottle - 75cl

Cintila is made at the Cooperativa Santo Isidro de Pegoes, founded in 1958. The cooperative is made up of 140 winegrowers and has access to over 1,100 hectares of vineyard located in the Terras do Sado area of the Setubal Peninsula. This coastal area benefits from mineral-rich sandy soils and cooling Atlantic winds. Santo Isidro de Pegoes is one of the most forward thinking cooperatives in Portugal and their chief winemaker, Jaime Quendera one of Portugal's most respected winemakers. Cintila, which means "shine" or "sparkle" is a dazzling range of fruit-driven wines which represent excellent value-for-money.

Temperatures during the summer months of 2018 were exceptionally hot, resulting in berries with concentrated flavours and slightly lower levels of acidity. The quality of the fruit is high and it is a vintage with great promise.

The Pegões vineyard is located between two Nature Reserves: the Tagus estuary to the Northwest and the Sado on the Southwest. To the east are the Arrabida hills and to the west the Alentejo province's clays. The unique soil here is named "Pliocenico de Pegões". It is a sandy soil formed over millions of years by sand transported by the rivers Tagus and Sado. It is this Mediterranean climate and soil combination that creates this unique Pegões terroir.

The grapes were harvested when they reached maturity; and sorted. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures, followed by a long maceration to extract the desired levels of colour, flavour and tannins to impart structure. This wine was made in an unoaked style in order to retain the purity of juicy fruit and aromatics in this easy-drinking style.

A rich, raspberry and violet scented wine made from the Castelão grape. Red berries prevail on the palate while young, with spicy nuances developing with age. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and an easy drinking finish. A versatile red wine which accompanies grilled red meats, meat stews or rich pasta dishes.