When pushed to suffer, like all good masochists do, this grape magically evolves into an intense and aromatic wine with red berry and floral aromas.

Gabriel Opaz – Catavino

This month the Wine Pairing Weekend group of food and wine writers are exploring new-to-us grape varieties.

I recently wrote a book review of “Foot Trodden-Portugal And The Wines That Time Forgot” The book review also featured a wine pairing with the 2017 Casal Figueira “Tinto”, a wine that is 100% Castelão – a new to me grape variety indigenous to Portugal.

About Castelão

Castelão is one of the most cultivated varieties in the Southern Portugal of the country, mainly in the regions of Tejo, Lisbon, Península de Setúbal and Alentejo. It thrives in hot climates and dry, sandy soils.

Physically, this little grape is tough, pooh poohing fertile soil in moderate climates for dry, sandy and intensely hot temperatures. When pushed to suffer, like all good masochists do, this grape magically evolves into an intense and aromatic wine with red berry and floral aromas. Consisting of small bunches of little dark skinned berries, this variety typically produces smooth and well balanced wines with good aging potential as a result of its fondness for oak explains Gabriel Opaz of Catavino

It is among the most planted grapes in Portugal. It is well-suited to the Portuguese predilection for blended wines, but, as in this case, if vinified with care may produce wonderful varietal wines.

2017 Casal Figueira “Tinto”

Casal Figueira is a project focused on neglected old-vine local cultivars. It was founded by Antonio Carvalho and his wife, an artist and painter Marta Soares.

Sadly, Antonio suffered heart failure while treading grapes in 2009. Marta had no chance mourn because the juice was pressed and fermenting. She wasn’t a trained winemaker, but she had been Antonio’s “cellar rat” for a decade. With no time to waste, she decided to continue making the wine. She threw herself into winemaking and found a way to finish what Antonio started.

Today, she brings an artist’s sensibility to making minimal intervention wine. Here’s an excellent profile of her journey written by Foot Trodden co-author Simon J. Woolf.

The terroir is not especially sexy on paper. The vineyards are studded around the Serra de Montejunto, a mountain located just about an hour north of Lisbon. They take the IGP Vinho Regional designation rather than the more prestigious Óbidos explains Rock Juice, where I purchased the wine.

Tasting Note:

This alluring wine pours a ruby violet color with raspberry, plum skin, dry earth, and a hint of mint with a very appealing florality. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with vibrant, mouth-watering acidity and chalky tannins. It shows black raspberry, red plum, black cherry, black tea flavors with nuanced spice notes and a very appealing saline minerality. 13.5% ABV; 250 cases; SPR – $38

Vineyard/cellar stats: 100% Castelão. Organic and biodynamic farming; 70 year old, own-rooted vines on clay and sand soils; 200m elevation; whole cluster fermentation in stainless steel; short cold maceration, elevage continues in stainless steel with lees, no battonage or pump-overs; no chemical additives; bottled unfined/unfiltered and minimal So2.

Food Pairing

We paired this wine with Sheet Pan Baked Seville Chicken, Sausage, and Vegetables – a recipe with flavors similar to dishes from southern Spain, thanks to a healthy dose of smoked paprika and smoked sausage (I used Chicken Andouille).  

The wine’s freshness and dark fruit profile were a wonderful complementary pairing for dish.

If you’re looking for more wine and food pairing inspiration, I invite you to see what grape varieties and pairing my fellow Wine Pairing Weekend writers discovered:

• A Day in the Life on the Farm invites you to  Join in the Fun as We Explore New Varietals and Share our Discoveries 
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Exploring Pineau d’Aunis Rosé: Two Bottles and Chicken Two Ways 
• Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Nosiola – a disappearing Northern Italian variety 
• Our Good Life discovers Montepulciand d’Abruzzo and Italian Stuffed Peppers 
• Avvinare is Exploring Ancient Grapes Prokupe and Vranac At Kosovo’s Stone Castle 
• The Quirky Cork shares Discovering Asproudi, a Re-Emerging Greek Grape 
• Wineivore:introduces us to  Biodynamic Portugese Sparklers with Goan Cuisine 
• ENOFYLZ Wine Blog serves up A Taste of Castelão; 2017 Casal Figueira “Tinto” 
• Cooking Chat has a Pork Tenderloin Pasta Recipe with a New Italian Wine 
• Vino Travels pours Barone di Serramarrocco Pignatello with Barbequed Ribs 
• Gwendolyn Alley Wine Predator invites us to  Discover Portugal’s Native Grapes in Esporão Organic Blends Paired with Alentejo Pork and Clams and Discover Portugal’s Native Grapes From Three Regions Paired with Peri Peri Chicken

 If you’re up early enough, please join our Twitter Chat on Saturday, March 12, at 8 AM PT. Just follow the #WinePW hashtag

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