Because they reflect deep knowledge and experience cumulated over many generations, our wines are crafted with great care. From vine to bottle and throughout the winemaking procedures, all our efforts are aimed at achieving wines of quality and exception all while respecting place and environment.

With Quinta da Lapa being the ideal berth for terroir wines, our first and foremost care is placed on the vineyard, all 72 hectares of it.

Our vineyards are divided into plots and grape varietals. Plots are established in order to benefit from the best sun exposure and achieve perfect berry ripening. As a result of the nearly constant breeze that sweeps through the estate’s rolling hills, we are able to sustain healthy, clean and aerated vines all year round.

Division into plots and by varietal allows for parceled harvesting of grapes at optimum ripening thresholds. Just a few minutes after being harvested the grapes arrive in a modern winery equipped with state of the art technology where they are sorted and the vinification process starts.

Some wines age in barrels, either as varietal lots or as blends. We work with 225 liter barrels of both French and American oak, new or of use, according to the “condiment” with which to impart each wine. Always maintaining the premise never to hinder the wine’s original flavor and complexity.

After bottling our red wines age further for periods that range from 4 months to 4 years before they are put on the market and consumed.

• Arinto: An eminently fresh, floral varietal with high acidity, it achieves a remarkable mineral expression when, as is the case at Quinta da Lapa, it is raised on soils rich in limestone.

• Alvarinho: It is one of Portugal’s most remarkable white grapes. It’s a very old low-yielding varietal that’s mainly harvested in the areas of Monção and Melgaço, in the heart of the “Vinho Verde” wine region. Alvarinho based wines are very fragrant and can reach high alcohol levels while preserving a good acidity balance.

• Fernão Pires: The variety Fernão Pires has a very early ripening, so it’s one of the first Portuguese grape varieties to be harvested. This variety has a good alcohol content and a low or medium acidity, so the wines produced or mixed with this variety have intense floral and tropical aromas.

• Encruzado: Encruzado has a good production and is fairly balanced in sugar and acidity. Wines composed of this variety are very aromatic and have a pronounced flavor. They have an exceptional longevity, since they can be kept in bottle for many years.

• Viosinho: Of poor production, Viosinho presents small bunches and berries of early maturation and quite susceptible to rot. This variety grows best in slightly dry soils. It produces well-structured wines, fresh and with complex floral aromas. Usually they’re also alcoholic and able to stay in bottle for some years.

• Chardonnay: It’s a noble variety and a classic of Burgundy. With aromas of tropical fruits, honey and apple, this variety tends to acquire the proper expression of the terroir where it lives.

• Sauvignon Blanc: It produces dry and fresh wines, with mineral and vegetable aromas and tropical fruity notes.

• Viognier: Variety of poor production and low acidity, is resistant to rot. Very aromatic, with notes of apricot, peach, flowers and pear williams.  Great to use in batches.

• Touriga Nacional: This is one of the great national grapes, giving structured, aromatic wines, which may be kept.

• Castelão: National reference with regards to phenolic maturation, terroir expression and wine-making flexibility. It is particularly suited to sandy, clay-based or clay-limestone soils.

• Aragonês: Equivalent to the Tempranillo grape of Spain and Aragonês in southern Portugal. Rich in fruit, this is one of the first to present good levels of maturation.

• Alicante Bouschet: This grape is already considered a national grape, due to the length of time it has been cultivated in Portugal and for its positive geographic spread. Lends freshness and depth to the batches in which it is present.

• Trincadeira Preta: Requires some attention during the harvest, in order to be collected during the optimal maturation period. It provides vigour and freshness to wines when used in a blend.

• Touriga Franca: It adapts well to the dry climate of the Ribatejo, of high yield and capricious. Accentuated acidity and color, wines are particularly floral, slightly alcoholic and with good aging potential.

• Merlot: Avarietal of great richness and elegance, it adds compleity and depth to the wines.

• Syrah: At the Quinta da Lapa terroir, this grape is rich in floral notes and dark ripe fruity flavours, complemented by dark chocolate.

• Cabernet Sauvignon: Thanks to the configuration of the vines in which it is installed, it is able to achieve very good levels of phenolic maturation in all seasons, which enables suitable for combination with others, at the same time as it amplifies the keeping potential of wines.

• Petit Verdot: Of dark color and high acidity, it’s a variety of low production and long cycle, from Bordeaux. The wine has great aromatic personality and aging potential, is intense and fruity in the mouth, with notes of chocolate and mint.

• Pinot Noir: Great grape of the region of the Burgundy, of thin and very sensitive skin, shines by the elegance, “finesse” and complexity.