Colares Special Report: Tradition Endures in a Sand-Swept Winescape

By the late 1990s, the Colares appellation in Portugal had shrunk to no more than 12 hectares from its heyday of over 1,000 hectares in the 1930s, according to Francisco Figueiredo, the head winemaker at Adega Regional de Colares, the local cooperative that bottles as much as half the wine made here. Since then, the region has regained its footing and nearly doubled in size, and so have producers’ ambitions.

Established in 1903, the Colares DOC is one of Portugal’s oldest and smallest appellations, as well as one of its most distinct. Vineyards must be planted exclusively on sandy soils and remain ungrafted. Red wines require at least 80 percent ramisco grapes, while whites must contain at least 80 percent malvasia. This limited wine-growing area includes three parishes: Freguesia of Sao Joao das Lampas, Sao Martinho, and Colares.

Located about 45 minutes northwest of the country's capital, Lisbon, Colares is sandwiched by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Sintra Mountains to the east, which serve as a natural barrier and influences the region’s unique microclimate. In the late 19th century, Colares became a key player in Portuguese winemaking, largely escaping the phylloxera devastation that afflicted much of Europe. Its sandy soils, which repelled the aphid responsible for the blight, allowed it to flourish as a wine-producing region.

Despite its advantages, Colares’ microclimate presents challenges. The Sintra Mountains block cool northern and eastern winds, while maritime breezes contribute to a scarcity of sunny days, as noted by winemaker Diogo Baeta of Viuva Gomes. The region receives an annual average of about 600 millimeters of rainfall – a relatively small amount compared with surrounding wine regions but about the same level as what London and Paris receive. A persistent cloud layer often hovers over the area.

Ramisco, often regarded as Colares' noble red variety, thrives in this environment because of its balance and acidity, and ramisco-based reds emphasize freshness, elegance and low alcohol levels. Some producers de-stem grapes, while others use whole clusters. Though approachable in youth, ramisco's thin skins and high phenolic content create wines with powerful tannins that age gracefully.

A prime example is the Viuva Gomes Ramisco Colares 2017 – incisive and saline, with a delicate fruit core and fine-grained tannins. It comes from ungrafted old-vine ramisco planted in deep sandy soils, fermented with whole clusters and aged for five years before release.

Equally noteworthy are the white wines from malvasia, which Baeta explained had been in the region for centuries. The Adega Regional de Colares Malvasia de Colares 2006 features vivid fruit, dried peach notes and bright acidity.

Young wines, such as the Viúva Gomes Malvasia de Colares Collares Reserva 2021, also show promise. Made from 70- to 100-year-old vines, it is aged for one year in barrel and three years in bottle, and displays floral, saline and nuanced qualities.

Another standout, the Ramilo Malvasia de Colares Borra, is a multi-vintage white made by decanting lees from the bottom of barrels. It has Jura-like aromatics with a saline twist reminiscent of Jerez.

Tasting ramisco wines from the 1930s to 1960s reveals their remarkable evolution, displaying nervy character, pronounced acidity and a rustic, sanguine quality akin to old Cornas or aged Northern Rhone wines. These wines have aged gracefully, and some are nearing a century old.

During my visit to Adega Regional de Colares last fall, Figueiredo showcased a hall lined with large foudres made from precious woods. Between 1930 and 1950, the region produced nearly one million liters annually; today, production has fallen to 40,000 to 50,000 liters. Adega Regional remains the largest producer in this unique region.

Colares' viticulture faced setbacks after the 1940s. “After WWII, the export crisis and government incentives led to vineyard reduction,” Figueiredo explained. The 1938 book Os Vinhos de Colares recorded 1,069 hectares of vineyards, exclusively on sandy soils, compared with today's 22 hectares.

Baeta describes the challenging vineyard planting process, which once required digging three-meter-deep holes to reach fertile subsoil. The traditional French marcottage technique, which buries shoots to encourage growth, was labor-intensive. While mechanization has eased the process, planting still requires digging down to three meters, with growers hoping the shoots take root. Modern vineyards are trellised, with a maximum height of 40 centimeters, as per DOC regulations.

To protect against Atlantic winds, vineyards are shielded by walls made of zinc, plastic, stone or cane. These old vineyards, resembling those in the Canary Islands’ Taganana region, weave through the landscape. Near harvest, vines are elevated using small cane supports to prevent fungus in the humid sand.

Beyond Colares' sandy soils, surrounding parishes host new projects on varied terrains. These include Viuva Gomes’ Pirata, Ramilo in Mafra, and Quinta de San Michel in Janas. Rising land costs have prompted young winemakers to consider a sub-appellation highlighting the adjacent limestone-rich soils.

Winemaker Alexandre Guedes of Quinta de San Michel notes that high land prices and low sandy-soil yields pose challenges. However, at higher elevations in Janas, he produces exceptional whites from clay-limestone soils at the Sintra foothills. His arintos are bright, textural, and striking.

The region’s hills feature granitic soils, while lower areas have diverse limestone compositions. Young winemakers are experimenting with red varieties like castelão and whites such as arinto and galego dourado, once used in Carcavelos sweet wines. The arinto and malvasia from Quinta de San Michel exemplify Colares' evolving potential, offering luminous, incisive and saline wines.

Despite rising real estate prices and vineyard preservation challenges, Colares' winemaking tradition endures. Surfers may celebrate its waves, but winemakers treasure its soils and history. With innovative projects and passionate producers, Colares remains a key part of Portugal’s viticultural heritage, ensuring these exceptional wines continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

– Jacobo García Andrade, Senior Editor

Note: While this report primarily focuses on the wines of Colares and its adjacent terroirs, it also includes wines from the wider Lisbon region. These wines showcase the diversity of the area, offering a broader perspective on the unique characteristics and potential of this winemaking region.

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com team. You can sort the wines by vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.