We look down the hill’s creases to the ocean—in fact, we can see our home from here—and feel the breezes come up to reach the vines below us. Though several vineyards lie further west, as far as actual longitude, and a handful cling to wilder and more exposed waves of land, none in the precious jewel-box of the Colares DOC compose such a cohesive scene, and host such a range of grapes now coming into their own as those of Casal Sta. Maria.
While the house dates back to decades before the great Lisboa earthquake of 1755, those vineyards came into life recently, as the third act of a compelling man, Baron Bodo von Bruemmer. When he purchased the quinta in 1962, the grounds and buildings had fallen onto hard times. The baron moved to Portugal to retreat with what he believed to be terminal cancer; when he survived that illness, he created a world-class Arabian stud farm on the grounds—it thrived through the 1970s and 80s.
You can still see the bones of that operation in the cellar: Once it was an indoor equine exercise arena, kept cool in the summer by its thick walls and subterranean siting. Of course, when the baron’s fancies turned to wine, that same nature made it perfect for aging wine in barrel.
That was in 2006, and right away he set into planting grapes he thought would pair well with the Colares climate—international varieties such as Riesling and Chardonnay, as well as the native Touriga Nacional and Malvasia de Colares. After all, he began the project at age 97, yet at that age he was in far better condition to forge ahead than men 25 years younger.
But in ripping out the overgrown areas of the estate, they found treasure: an octagonal folly sheltering a local spring, brought up from the earth through its marbled fountain. As it turned out, the building belonged to Quinta do Pé da Serra, up the hill. When the N247 road was put through decades before between the properties, it drove through a corner of that quinta without anyone being the wiser, creating a swath of land that appears to this day to be part of Casal Sta. Maria. The estate takes care of the historic site, which is tiled inside with azulejos dating from the 18th century.
Such stories feel so very Portuguese in their serendipity—and the baron too found surprises when he began vinifying wine. First, the land had become enriched by the years of horses blessing the soil, so in terms of Colares clay, the ground here tends to have a bit more substance to it. Though too often vineyards struggle with too many nutrients, our soil here in Colares is notoriously poor. So, a bit of leftover “stuff” helps.
Second, the estate found that the various experiments in international varieties held promise in some cases, and didn’t translate well in others. The very first time we stopped by, in early 2016, we tried the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and liked both. On our next full visit and tour, we sampled the Riesling, alongside a clay-grown Malvasia. Far too much acid on the Riesling—it was not a good expression of the grape at that point. All of the wines felt “young,” a result of the youth of their respective vines.
The vines, however, showed promise, and intelligence in their layout. Looking from the vantage point down towards the ocean, you see the rows of white grapes planted in line to the prevailing sea breezes, so they have the full effect of the winds’ cooling and drying throughout the critical times of the year. The reds are planted behind a pine-tree and blackberry-lined windbreak, in the warmer part of the estate. They show uneven ripening this year; we had virtually no real summer, and harvest lags behind all over the VR. We shall see what the estate’s intensive hand-picking and selection on the tables will bear out.
The baron sadly passed on in November 2016, leaving his grandson, Nicholas, to shepherd the estate into its next decades. As the passing of time dictates, the vines that the baron planted only now reach into their fullest expression. We’ve witnessed this change over the last three years, so we’re glad that the family continues the mission begun by the baron.
With Nicholas at the helm, Casal Sta. Maria is refining its lineup to focus on premium wines, and those that suits its terroir best. With the next year, the Riesling and Arinto will be discontinued—with Chardonnay now grafted onto Arinto vines as we saw on our walk through the vineyards last week. Though Arinto is a classical grape of Portugal, it doesn’t thrive here as it does just over the Serra in Bucelas, and other parts of the VR Lisboa.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, however, sing, along with a new player on the lineup: the Mar de Rosas. While a rosé has been on the menu before, this lovely wine debuted a few weeks ago, a blend of Touriga Nacional, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. It’s the first wine to be made fully under the direction of Nicholas and the winemaker. We fell for it immediately—as have others. The 7,000-bottle production is nearly sold out already.
The beautiful grounds and new tasting room (guarded faithfully by Otto, the family lab) alone are worth a visit. But the wines of Casal Sta. Maria quickly approach the sublime loveliness of the setting.
Casal Sta. Maria
Rua Principal Casas Novas no.18/20
2705-177 Colares
+351 219 292 117
For tastings, book at: [email protected]
Tasting Notes: June 4, 2016
Malvasia 2014
From 100% Malvasia de Colares grapes, grown on the clay soils of the estate, so not qualifying as DOC wine. Shows the floral trademarks of the grape, but without as much complexity.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, high acidity white
Variety: Malvasia de Colares
Price: N/A
Riesling 2014
From 100% Riesling grapes, grown on the clay soils of the estate. Floral, mostly orange blossom notes, but plowed over a bit by the high acidity. More lemon on the palate than any other flavor.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, high acidity white
Variety: Riesling
Price: N/A
Arinto 2014
From 100% Arinto grapes, grown on the clay soils of the estate. Tastes a bit simple: light yeasts plus lemon rind on the nose and palate.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, high acidity white
Variety: Arinto
Price: N/A
Chardonnay 2014 (tasted at home, in August 2018)
From 100% Chardonnay grapes. With hay on the nose and palate, and tasting of roasted lemons, and a bit of canned pineapple, this traditional oaked style (used French oak) held up well in our cellar storage and left us enjoying it with a bechamel-based lasagna.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Medium bodied, tropical white
Variety: Chardonnay
Price: N/A
Tasting Notes: September 7, 2018
Casal Sta. Maria Branco 2016
From Arinto and Chardonnay grapes, this everyday white balances the two into a lovely, crisp wine. To us, it showed aromas of elderflower, with citrus notes on the palate.
Vintage & Producer: 2016 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, citrusy white
Variety: Arinto and Chardonnay
Price: €8,10 at the estate
Malvasia 2016
From 100% Malvasia de Colares grapes, grown on the clay soils of the estate, so not qualifying as DOC wine. It’s light texture let the grapefruit and Meyer lemon aromas and flavors come through, along with a beam of salinity. 13% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2016 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, citrusy white
Variety: Malvasia de Colares
Price: €11,20 at the estate
Arinto 2016
From 100% Arinto grapes, grown on the clay soils of the estate, the last of an era. I found sweet peas and elderflower on the nose, with green citrus on the palate and moderate acidity. Not as complex as a Bucelas but still a nice, balanced wine. 12,5% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2016 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied, floral white
Variety: Arinto
Price: €11,20 at the estate
Rosé 2015
From a blend of red grapes at the estate. A dark salmon color, with stemmy strawberries on the nose and palate. A much simpler wine than the new Mar de Rosas. 13% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2015 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied dry rosé
Variety: Touriga Nacional, Pinot Noir, and Syrah
Price: €13,30 at the estate
Mar de Rosas 2017
The first vintage of this pale pink rosé, crafted from Touriga Nacional, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Beautiful aromas of macerated strawberries, with a hazelnut extract on the palate, and a dusty finish. Intriguing and fine. 7,000 bottles made. 13% abv.
Vintage & Producer: 2017 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Light-to-medium bodied dry rosé
Variety: Touriga Nacional, Pinot Noir, and Syrah
Price: €22,50 at the estate
Casal Sta. Maria Tinto 2014
From a blend of Merlot and Touriga Nacional at the estate. Gravel and bramble on the nose, with garrigue, violets, perhaps? Blackberries on the dry palate. A nice everyday red.
Vintage & Producer: 2014 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Medium-bodied dusty red
Variety: Merlot and Touriga Nacional
Price: €8,10 at the estate
Pinot Noir 2015
From 100% Pinot Noir grapes at the estate. Burnished Morello cherries and chai tea aromas. “Smelling like the brick red earth,” in my notes. Racing acidity, and a solid finish. This one could last a few years. Very fine.
Vintage & Producer: 2015 Casal Sta. Maria
From: VR Lisboa
Style: Medium-bodied cherry red
Variety: Pinot Noir
Price: €20,50 at the estate
Ramisco 2008 DOC
From 100% Ramisco grapes on sandy soils, for a DOC Colares bottling. Served alongside a 1962 bottle of Collares from Visconde de Salreu for effect. Reminiscent of cough syrup on the nose, like many Colares reds, but not sweet, and in a pleasant way. Silica dust there as well. Fresher cherries on the palate as it opens up, yet it stays elegant, riding the acidity. Cherry stems on the finish. 1,000 bottles made.
Vintage & Producer: 2008 Casal Sta. Maria
From: DOC Colares
Style: Medium-bodied elegant red
Variety: Ramisco
Price: €32 at the estate
