Lagoa
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Doña Blanca (Siria)Listan Del Condado (Manteudo)SyrahCabernet-SauvignonArintoRabo De OvelhaSauvignonCastelaoAragonez (Tempranillo Tinto)Alicante Bouschet (Alicante Henri Bouschet)Touriga FrancaTouriga NacionalNegra Mole (Mollar Cano)MonvedroMoretoMoscatel Graudo (Muscat Of Alexandria)
The Portuguese regulator (IVV) does not distinguish principal vs accessory varieties — every authorised casta is listed together in the caderno de especificações.
Terroir
Natural factors
- Mediterranean climate with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, hot, dry, and with little wind.
- A mountain barrier to the north protects against cold winds; vineyards arranged in a south-facing amphitheatre.
- Dominant soils: litholic sandstone soils, psamitic regosols, and Mediterranean raña soils or related types.
- Inland vineyards, on steeper slopes, less subject to maritime influence.
- Quality recognition in 1980; CVA established in 1994 to certify the region's wines.
Human factors
- Quality production recognised in 1980; the regulatory body CVA founded in 1994, with a renaming in 2010.
- Viticulture present since the Muslim occupation, with wine being exported; continuity following the Christian Reconquista.
Product characteristics
- Whites: citrine to pale yellow colour, robust yet smooth, very fruity, full-bodied, with great ageing potential.
- Reds: ruby colour evolving towards topaz, velvety, full-bodied, fruity, low in acidity and warm, with great longevity.
Terroir / wine link
- The Mediterranean climate (>3,000 hours of sunshine per year, dry, with little wind) is reflected in warm, full-bodied, and velvety reds, and robust whites with great longevity.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the the caderno de especificações.
Sources
- eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-PT-A1450
- Official trade body site — Comissão Vitivinícola do Algarve