Villa Oeiras Carcavelos Guitarras do Marquês Colheita 2010

Carcavelos Guitarras do Marquês Colheita 2010 is a single-harvest Portuguese fortified wine from Villa Oeiras in Carcavelos, west of Lisbon, made from equal parts Arinto, Galego Dourado and Ratinho. It comes from a one-off project, known in English as the Guitar Barrel Project, in which the wine aged in a single 1,000-litre cask: a collector's bottle from Lisbon's own historic wine.

Tasting notes

A white Carcavelos, medium sweet and medium bodied, with the amber tones and notes of caramel, dried fruit and toasted nuts that long oak ageing brings. Fresh acidity and a saline edge from the Atlantic keep it from feeling heavy.

Food pairing

Try it with queijadas de Sintra, pudim flan, crème brûlée or a plate of aged cheese and walnuts. It is lovely on its own as a slow after-dinner glass.

About Villa Oeiras

Villa Oeiras was founded in 1983 by the municipality of Oeiras and the Ministry of Agriculture to save Carcavelos, Portugal's smallest appellation. Its vines grow on limestone a short walk from the Tagus estuary, and the wines age in the old cellars of the Marquês de Pombal's palace in Oeiras.

Good to know

• Serve at 12-14 °C. Keeps several weeks once opened, corked, in a cool place.
• DOC Carcavelos, vintage 2010, white grapes.
• A rare gift for a wine collector. Ask about it at our bar in Graça.