Douro Superior
One of the Douro sub-regions, marked by dry summers, harsh winters and mountain viticulture.
The origin
The Douro Superior of Muxagata.
At the estate, Palato do Côa and the single-parcel editions are born of altitude vineyards, thermal range and schist soils veined with limestone. Vinhas do Côa is Douro DOC and combines grapes from two estates owned by the partners.
Altitude, climate and soil help define the ripening rhythm of each harvest.
What makes this Douro unique
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Côa Valley
A territory of agricultural landscape and millennia-old human memory, recognised for its archaeological heritage.
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Schist-based soils
High stoniness and different geological formations that help distinguish each plot.
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Altitude
Vines set between 300 and 400 metres of altitude, with different sun exposures.
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Temperature range
Warm days and cooler nights that allow a gradual ripening of the grapes.
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Sourcing by range
Palato do Côa and the single-parcel editions come from the estate; Vinhas do Côa is Douro DOC and combines grapes from two estates owned by the partners.
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Limited production
A scale that allows each harvest to be followed closely, from vine to final lot.
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Since 2007
First wines made in Muxagata; the estate was acquired by the six partners in 2008.
The varieties
Diversity with a common voice.
Rabigato, Viosinho and Códega do Larinho in the whites. In the reds, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Alicante Bouschet — one of the few teinturier varieties, with red pulp, adding colour and structure.
In the old vineyards, 46 varieties share the same plot, not all of them named. They were planted before anyone thought of separating them, and it is from that field blend that the Grande Reserva comes.
From vine to bottle
Altitude and temperature range.
Altitude and the day-to-night temperature variation help preserve freshness and balance, in both the whites and the reds.
Each plot responds differently to soil, exposure and harvest. It is that diversity that guides the composition of the lots.
Where it comes from
Côa Valley, Douro Superior.
Quinta do Palato sits in Muxagata, at the heart of the Côa Valley — a territory of farmed landscape and millennial memory, in the innermost reach of the Douro.
Palato do Côa and the single-parcel editions use estate grapes; Vinhas do Côa is Douro DOC and combines grapes from two estates owned by the partners. Sourcing is declared by range.
Terraces · Côa Valley
Schist soil
Old vines · estate grapes
Harvest · MuxagataStories of the Douro Superior
What lies behind every bottle.
The Estate
Quinta do Palato: six friends, one vineyard
The real story of Palato do Côa begins in 2007, with the first wines, and takes shape in 2008, when Carloto Magalhães and five friends acquired Quinta do Palato, in Muxagata.
3 artigos →Grapes
The Douro Superior grape varieties in the Palato wines
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Alicante Bouschet, Rabigato, Viosinho and Códega do Larinho — the grape varieties behind the Palato do Côa wines and what each one brings to the blend.
6 artigos →At the table
How to pair the Palato do Côa wines
From the fresh white to the ageing red, a practical pairing guide to the Palato do Côa wines — based on the notes of each tech sheet and the house serving temperatures.
11 artigos →History
The chain of the Douro Superior: from Dona Antónia to the Côa Valley
How the innermost frontier of the Douro was opened, mapped and named — from Dona Antónia Ferreira to the Côa river — until it gave rise to the wine born in Muxagata.
8 artigos →Terroir
The Côa Valley and the Douro Superior: schist, altitude and temperature range
In the innermost reach of the Douro, the Côa Valley brings together schist soils, high-altitude vines and large day-to-night temperature swings. It is that terroir that gives the Palato wines their freshness.
4 artigos →For the trade
Importing Portuguese wine from the Douro Superior to Brazil
Palato do Côa arrives in Brazil through Casa Santa Luzia, with a Douro portfolio with sourcing disclosed by range and limited production. For the trade, a guide to what the brand is and how to work with it.
Read →Harvest
The harvest in the Douro Superior
When and how we harvest at Quinta do Palato, in the Côa Valley — and what the harvest means in the glass. Content in preparation, updated as we document each harvest.
Coming soon →The map of the Douro
Three sub-regions, one chain.
The Douro runs from east to west, through three sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. It is in the innermost reach — the Douro Superior — that the Côa river flows into the Douro, and where Palato do Côa is born.
Tap each point on the map to follow the chain: from Dona Antónia’s frontier to the Cachão da Valeira, from the Côa Valley to Quinta do Palato.
Quinta do Palato · Muxagata · Douro Superior