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.
Dona Antónia Ferreira: the widow who bet on the Douro frontier
Widowed at 33, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira became the greatest Port wine entrepreneur of the 19th century and, instead of staying in the already established Douro, opened up the Douro Superior — proving that the easternmost zone gave great wines.
The Cachão da Valeira: the gorge that opened the Douro Superior
Until the end of the 18th century, a wall of rock in the river blocked passage upstream to the east. Only after it was dynamited was there trade to the Douro Superior — the gateway to the whole region.
The Douro map of the Baron of Forrester
In the mid-19th century, the Scot Joseph James Forrester produced the first detailed map of the Douro. That historic map is referenced in the very design of the Palato do Côa bottle.
The Côa Valley that gives the wine its name
The Côa river, a tributary of the Douro, runs through Vila Nova de Foz Côa and Muxagata. On its banks lies one of the largest open-air Palaeolithic rock-art galleries in Europe — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Touriga Nacional: the grape that closes the map at the Côa
A native grape regarded as one of the most emblematic in Portugal — floral, elegant, the backbone of the great Douro reds. In the Côa Valley, Palato bottles it at 100%, closing the chain that began with Dona Antónia.
Uma vindima na vinha velha de Muxagata: do nevoeiro de Setembro à pisa a pé no lagar de granito
Tem um cheiro de névoa que chega antes da gente: setembro acorda o Douro Superior — o cantinho mais quente e mais seco da região — coberto por um nevoeiro que desce no vale de madrugada. É o dia quente e a noite fresca…
O Douro: a região vinícola demarcada e regulamentada mais antiga do mundo, desde 1756
Em 1756, o Marquês de Pombal assinou o decreto que criou a primeira região vinícola demarcada e regulamentada do mundo. Não na França, não na Itália — em Portugal, no Douro.
A vindima nas encostas ingremes do Douro Superior: do nevoeiro de setembro a ultima cesta
Em setembro, o Douro Superior ainda guarda névoa nas primeiras horas da manhã. As vinhas velhas de Muxagata mal se veem.
Explore the Côa collections.
All wines from estate-grown grapes, from the Douro Superior — from the entry line to the special editions.