I’ve been meaning to put this bodega profile together for ages, simply because the representative I met last summer in Lisbon was not only unforgettable with his dashing appearance and remarkable confidence, but because he seemed ridiculously impressed with his wines. Brilliant blond hair parted meticulously to right, perfectly ironed white button down shirt, and a cool relaxed demeanor, this man appeared impenetrable until he discovered that I didn’t know his winery. Understandably, I knew very few wineries in Portugal until our major investigation last year. And once we dove into the subject, I felt like I was drowning in a multitude of interesting bodegas I wanted to research but couldn’t find the time to write about. And then came the 2005 Palácio da Bacalhôa. When we opened this wine a few nights ago, Ryan and I turned to one another with big toothy grins and said, “we need to share this adega with our readers!”

The winery acquired its name from the Renaissance palace of Quinta da Bacalhôa , which sits directly on the winery estate. The palace is located just south of Lisbon, in the region of Azeitão. Commissioned in 1554 by the son of the famous Portuguese mariner, Afonso de Albuquerque (a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, and a naval general officer who conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian ocean), the palace was influenced by both Italian and Indian design which were renowned for their extensive gardens and open-air balconies. From the pictures I’ve seen, which include extensive labyrinths crafted in a filigree like style, an enormous two foot high reflecting pool that mirrors the majority of the palace onto into its waters, and a jaw dropping …