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The DOC area named after the city on the Atlantic coast is located south-east of the Portuguese capital Lisbon on the Península Setúbal peninsula in the west-central part of the Península de Setúbal region. The climate here is characterised by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean in autumn and, above all, by cool and very humid air currents from the Tagus estuary. The vines grow here on calcareous, sandy and clayey soils. After port and Madeira, this is the third great Portuguese dessert wine with a very old tradition. The French Sun King Louis XIV (1638-1715) is said to have always requested liqueur wine from Setúbal for his festivities in Versailles. The English wine writer Cyrus Redding (1785-1870) praised the wine in 1851 in his book "A History and Description of Modern Wine". Around 1860, the wine was exported to three continents. In the same way as Madeira, it was loaded onto ships in barrels and transported across the equator twice before being sold. Such bottles, labelled TVE (Torna Viagem) and dating from 1870 to 1890, are still stored in the cellars of the Fonseca company.

Setúbal - Karte

The designation Moscatel de Setúbal or Moscatel Roxo is only permitted for at least 85% Moscatel de Setúbal (Muscat d'Alexandrie). For the rest, Arinto, Boal Branco (Malvasia Fina), Moscatel Douro (Muscat Blanc) and the reddish variety Moscatel Roxo are permitted. If less than 85% but at least 67% Muscatel varieties are used, it may only be called Setúbal . For the remaining 33%, however, a number of other white and red wine varieties are also permitted. The wine is usually a blend of different vintages, and in particularly good years there is also a vintage Setúbal. After destemming, the grapes are gently pressed. After a relatively short fermentation in fermentation vats or large concrete tanks, this is stopped at an alcohol content of around 12% vol. and residual sugar below 100 g/l by spriting with pure alcohol (ethyl alcohol). The fermentation material is then stored for at least six to 12 months, followed by pressing and filtering.

The young wine then matures further in oak or mahogany barrels in oxidative ageing. Some producers, such as Fonseca, add grapes at this stage to increase the fruitiness. The loss resulting from evaporation is replenished with wines of the same age. Torna Viagem, which used to be common for selected wines, is no longer usual. Maturation takes at least five to six years, for special qualities even 20 to 25 years. The younger wines are amber in colour, the very old ones are cognac-coloured with aromas of coffee, caramel and honey. The wines have a residual sugar content of up to 90 g/litre and an alcohol content of 18 to 20% vol. They are characterised by decades of longevity.

Map: By Tschubby - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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