Palato do Côa started in 2008, when Carlos Magalhães and five of his friends acquired 7,5 hectares of old vines alongside 8,5 hectares of new vines. Their know-how and passion for great wines united with amazing terroir were the main ingredients needed to make Palato do Côa’s wines.

Carlos Magalhães, the winemaker, has a large skillset, doing everything from teaching winemaking in universities, to judging international wine competitions, to do consulting for hospitality businesses and also providing education workshops for several hospitality staff teams. But there’s more. Despite the full agenda, Carlos still manages to devote himself to different projects in several different regions such as Alentejo, Bairrada and Vinhos Verdes. At the end of the day, Carlos is the winemaker responsible for this special little place in Douro called Quinta da Saudade.

The vineyard is located right in the Upper Douro area, within the Douro region, which is not only the oldest wine region in the world, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. More specifically, the vines are planted in Muxagata, a small village in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. A place that holds one of the best terroirs in the region – combining schist soils with a unique micro climate that really resonates with Carlos’ hard work.

Its unique climate, with burning summers and rigorous winters, alongside a schist soil that both holds and refracts heat create the most amazing results from still wines to delicious Ports, all resulting from the hard work and man’s passion.

The land has never allowed any machinery to do the people’s work. The hills are so steep and the soil so uneven that only way to make wine is to combine tradition and handcraft, which endure every year in the soul of Palato do Côa’s wines.

At the end of the day, each bottle is athe result of traditional and indigenous Douro grapes such as Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz alongisde Alicante Bouchez on reds and Rabigato, Viosinho and Códega do Larinho when it comes to white wines.