So many stories that go back centuries hang over the hills near Tomar—and many tales can be told of the wines of the Tejo region.
Quinta do Cavalinho sits on land that has nurtured wine for many years. Its 18 hectares were once devoted to Portuguese varieties, but as in many other parts of Portugal, they have found success in planting international varieties as diverse as Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. A few rows of vines devoted to Moscatel Roxo (most widely known in the Palmela DOC) show that the quinta also tries out grapes from around the country as well. The results intrigued us.
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The vines rest before budbreak in the sunny days of a dry February -
The flag of the Knights Templar forms a fitting backdrop for the wines
Quinta do Cavalinho bottles under the Herdade dos Templários brand
Of course, any savvy marketer would see advantage in Tomar’s vivid history—the city was the site of a stronghold for the Knights Templar, and the castle remaining hosts the azulejo-adorned Convento do Cristo and a stunningly illuminated chapel. The red cross of the Templários flies from every rampart—and the quinta adopted it as its primary logo for its series of Herdade dos Templários wines.
It’s a bold statement, and it’s appropriate to a growing quinta. With consulting enologist Hernani Magalhães supervising winemaking efforts, production has topped 100,000 liters, depending on the harvest, which equates to roughly 130,000 bottles.
We walked the vines with owner Paula Costa in late Feburary, still a few weeks from budbreak. She discussed the various plots, with Cabernet Sauvignon on the top of the hill, with its jagged leaves. From there, Touriga Nacional cascades down the hill (telling the difference by its smoother leaves), and international grape of darkness, Alicante Bouschet thriving next to the a small house, mixed in with native Castelão vines.
Merlot graces the the far side of the hill from where we stand. Beginning this year (the 2018 vintage), the quinta began making a rosé of almost 100% Merlot—they have bottled the 2018 rosé as of early March. It will be much paler this year, says Paula, reflecting, perhaps, the transition from Touriga Nacional of previous vintages. She recounts how the quinta lost a lot of the Touriga Nacional during the infamous heat blast of August 3-4, 2018; the harvest was down 30 percent. That tale of woe echoes around Portugal’s central wine regions, from Torres Vedras to Alentejo.
Moscatel vines, 12 years old, grow in a sheltered area next to the machine shed. The quinta’s Moscatel roxo bottling is called Sellium after the original Roman settlement near Tomar. Near to those plots stands a half hectare of Riesling, and a little bit of Gewurtztraminer too.
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Of the 130,000 bottles produced by the quinta each year, these await shipment -
Tanks stand washed and ready for the coming season
Quinta do Cavalinho destems all of their grapes, leaning towards a softer style in the bigger reds, according to our tasting. As we walked into the winemaking building, Paula points out that they have more capacity in the winery than they have vineyards—a good position for more expansion—and the berries grow close to the adega for a very short travel time from picking to crushing.
Crush and ferment for the red varieties generally lasts for 4 to 5 days. White grape fermentation is a much slower process, at 20 to 25 days, held at a moderately cool temperature of 12 to 14C; obviously the quinta must refrigerate the tanks to consitently hold that value. Paula notes that the red wines get a pump over several times a day to extract aromas and tannins from the skins. The quinta uses malolactic fermentation in all of its reds, such as the 2014 Herdade dos Templarios tinto, which is allowed to naturally occur after the alcoholic fermentation.
We moved into a room that felt much like the dining room in an old manor house, lined with sideboards showing historic vintages and awards for the quinta, alongside large format bottles of the favorite wines from those ages. We gathered informally around the table as Paula poured for the group of us—and, as often happens during any Portuguese gathering, a guitar appeared and was passed to an older gentleman who had been copiously sampling the tinto offered to us.
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It’s not a Portuguese gathering until the guitar comes out and the songs begin
The music alternated between poignant and bawdy—sometimes in the same song. While not quite the famous fado, the emotive cantos of Portugal, the tunes evoked a similar feel as plucked from the strings. We tasted a wide range of flavors in the glass, as we moved from branco to rosé to tinto to reserva to vinho licoroso—the Moscatel Roxo, Sellium, my favorite of the tasting. All echoed the joy in the room as we toasted the Templarios, the vines around us, and the coming spring.
Quinta do Cavalhino Vinhos Lda.
Rua de Tomar — Valdonas 2300-608
Tomar
tel: +351 236 949 160 or 912 962 241
Tasting Notes: February 23, 2019
Herdade dos Templários 2017 Branco
From a blend of Arinto (40%), Moscatel (40%), and Riesling (20%) grapes. A light straw color, with aromas of chamomille flowers, then basil and lime. Savory on the palate, with sage and petrol aspects from the Riesling. Freshness from the Arinto. 13% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2017 Quinta do Cavalinho
From: DOC DO Tejo — Tomar subregion
Style:
Varieties: Arinto, Moscatel, Riesling
Price: About €4 at the adega loja
Herdade dos Templários 2017 Rosé
From Touriga Nacional grapes. A deep salmon color (2018 will be lighter, with no skin contact–as opposed to the 4 to 5 hours made in the 2017 vintage). Strawberry and raspberry aromas, with strawberry cream pie on the palate. A bit of leafy bitter on the finish. 13% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2017 Quinta do Cavalinho
From: DOC DO Tejo — Tomar subregion
Style:
Varieties: Touriga Nacional
Price: About €4 at the adega loja
Herdade dos Templários 2014 Tinto
From a blend of Touriga Nacional, Castelão, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Aged 6 months in used oak barrels, of French and American origin. Deep burgundy velvet color. Rhubarb and brambles on the nose, with rosemary, plum, dark berries on the palate. Moderate tannins—not too dry, with a well-balanced, even finish. 13,5% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Quinta do Cavalinho
From: DOC DO Tejo — Tomar subregion
Style:
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Castelão, Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: About €4 at the adega loja
Convento Tomar Reserva 2014 Tinto
From a blend of Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah (14%) grapes. Aged 6 months in French and American oak barrels. Garnet with violet colors. Aromas of balsamic syrup, coffee, dark plums, and plum compote and garam masala on the palate. A soft finish, with relatively soft tannins. 14% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Quinta do Cavalinho
From: DOC DO Tejo — Tomar subregion
Style:
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Castelão, Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: About €7 at the adega loja
Moscatel Roxo Sellium NV
A vinho licoroso from Moscatel Roxo grapes. Poejo and other native herbs on the nose, with an intriguing palate: soy sauce, wasabi pepper, and burnt caramel, among others. Later, the tastes move to dried golden sultanas, after waves of more peppery herbs. Very moderate sweetness.18% abv.
Vintage & Producer: NV Quinta do Cavalinho
From: DOC DO Tejo — Tomar subregion
Style:
Varieties:
Price: About €13 at the adega loja