The Arrábida hills, whose moderate, maritime climate yields elegant, structured Moscatel.
DO Setúbal, the famous fortified wine from just south of Lisbon, is said to have been the toast of Royal courts since the 14th century. In 2024, the top-scoring performance of DO Setúbal at the Decanter World Wine Awards and Muscats du Monde competition demonstrates its continuing world-class quality across entry-level, premium and prestige expressions.
Bucking the trend among fortified wines, DO Setúbal is seeing year-on-year growth in both production and sales, and increasing stylistic diversity. Sales have almost doubled since 2000, and more consumers are discovering the sensational aromatics and harmonious balance that stem from its characterful place of origin and historic winemaking process.
Moderating influences
South of Lisbon, across the Tagus estuary, DO Setúbal sits on a peninsula bounded by the Tagus river to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Sado estuary to the south.
Humid breezes from these surrounding waters temper the sunny, dry climate, creating ideal conditions for intensely aromatic, flavoursome Moscatel with crisp acidity.
Bacalhôa’s warm ‘greenhouse’ cellar allows the wines to develop striking complexity. Credit: Bacalhôa
Contrasting terroirs
The warmer eastern plains account for more than 80% of the total area of DO Setúbal vineyards. Their heat-retentive sandy soils yield moreish, textured wines.
To the west, vineyards on the north-facing, clay-limestone slopes of the Arrábida hills ripen grapes particularly slowly, producing elegant, well-structured wine.
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