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Negra Mole – Quinta da Penina, from Algarve

Quinta da Palmeirinha is located in an area called “Lobito” in the Algarve region where it is planted with Portuguese red and white varieties, in an area of ​​8.7 hectares of sandy soil.

Here the vineyards are reported to have existed since the Phoenicians and Carthaginians arrived on the Algarve coast.

Currently, the Negra Mole grape variety is still maintained, which is probably the oldest vine in the Algarve, planted in 1942.

This Quinta da Penina brand was launched in 2012.

Negra Mole is a funny variety. It produces bunches of red grapes, pink in different tones, or white. It is the second oldest grape variety in Portugal, after the Cercial.

It is an indigenous Algarve variety, the queen of the grapes in the region.

It has another curiosity of being the only one in the country that can ripen as white or red grapes. It has a faded appearance, with large, tricolor bunches.

This grape has a fruity aroma and low concentration, that gives wines with a pinkish to ruby color, with a pleasant aromatic profile.

Especially red wines gain immense soul by aging in wood. Macerated for longer, wines produced with Negra Mole, allow us to enter the world of reds, like “Burgundy”. Light, but at the same time tense, with clean fruit and a long mouthfeel.

White wines that are partially aged in oak barrels also gain a different structure and range of aromas. Super fresh, and mineral wines, excellent for the best sparkling bases or gastronomic whites.

Pressed more firmly, they produce light pink musts, almost salmon like the famous rosés from “Provence”, a fruity and fresh aroma, like an overwhelming elegance.

 

This wine is a blend of 90% Negra Mole and 10% of Castelão grapes.

Medium ruby color with garnet hints.

The wine presents a bouquet of ripe red and black fruit aromas such as blueberries and blackberries, with intense peppery notes and a bit of mocha.

On the palate, it is smooth and velvety, with light acidity and elegant tannins that give it a medium persistent finish. Fruity in the mouth with spicy sensations and enough extraction.

Pairing well with red meat, game, fatty fish, cataplanas, sausages, hams, and soft cheeses.

At the Algarve Wine Competition in 2023, this wine was awarded the gold medal in the category of Negra Mole.


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