The Vineyard

The Origins Of Our Produce

THE VINEYARD

Soil & Climate

This is a vineyard with 20 years, planted between Sintra and Mafra, benefiting from all the advantages of a microclimate strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The small hillside vineyard, on limestone slabs, where the grapes that give rise to the white and the red wine known by ESCONDIDO are born and grow, is a small farm with difficult access, a privileged spot for leisure and holidays for the Ávila-Coutinho family. Fernando Ávila, architect and father-in-law of the winemaker, is the author of the label, indirectly relating to the culture of the vineyard and wine as he is the author of the architectural project for UTAD – University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the only institution in the country where the degree in winemaking is taught.

COMPLETE PERFECTION

The Finest Grapes

The first vineyard of 1,200 plants was planted there by Aníbal Coutinho in 2002. In 2010 it was expanded up the slope with another 1,400 plants. The red grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Touriga Nacional dominate.

ESCONDIDO

Selected Bottles

Escondido Tinto 2021
Regional IGP Lisboa

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Touriga Nacional. Oak aged at least for 24 months, bottle aged for at least 24 months. Spicy and mentholic aromas typical of the Bordesian varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, fruity chocolate from Syrah, and citrus bergamot from our Touriga Nacional. Set surrounded by sweet spices and earthy and smoked notes. Elegant mouth with a sucrose and a very refreshing and gastronomic prolongation.

Novo Escondido Branco 2022
Regional IGP Lisboa

Hidden among the hills of the region, the predominant Arinto vineyard is in its fourth harvest, after 15 years of taking root and acclimatizing to the steep, stony, and maritime terrain. The wine fermented on skins and aged in new, medium-toasted French oak barrels. Very citrusy and mineral, some pineapple notes suggest the sweetness that the palate confirms and amplifies. We have wine to drink, eat, and keep, until the few bottles produced are gone.

Escondido Magnum Tinto 2012
Regional IGP Lisboa

Escondido is a wine dominated by natural acidity and tannins that need bottle aging to harmonize with its somewhat fragile body and low alcohol content. It may remind you of wines from the Bordeaux region, before the technocratic trend of searching for the ideal window of super-maturation. Perhaps he has limitations at the table, but the table is his space for revelation.