Whole-bunch fermentation in open lagares is what predominantly imparts the underlying freshness and signature style of the estate’s red wines.
WINERY
Mouchão’s winery is nestled in one of the estate’s valleys, surrounded by vineyards and shaded by tall eucalyptus trees.
Dating back to 1901 the substantial whitewashed adobe walls and high, chestnut-beamed ceilings shelter nine open stone troughs, known as lagares, four manual basket presses, dozens of century-old wooden vats, and a large wood-fired copper still – all continue to be used to this day.
The old wooden 5000 litre vats are used for the estate’s finest reds.
The neutrality and porosity of the old, used wood (staves of Portuguese Oak and Chestnut, with Mahogany heads) provide perfect ageing conditions for the wine to express its terroir.
Both the layout and operation of the winery have remained practically unchanged since its construction in 1901.
Even with the arrival of electricity to the estate in 1991, the traditional winemaking methods have been carefully preserved; grapes are still handpicked, foot-trodden, and the red musts manually pressed in low yielding, century-old basket presses.
In today’s world, these meticulously guided traditions are a rarity, producing singular wines of exceptional style.