The nose on this Castelão blend comes in fresh and lifted, layering dried herbs and cracked black pepper over juicy blackberries, blackcurrants and ripe black plums, with a little red cherry popping through for brightness. There’s a slick undercurrent of cedar and dark chocolate from oak that gives it depth without weighing it down too. A fab wine!

Origin: Portugal. Mainly Grown In: All over Portugal, the best examples come from the Setúbal peninsula. Key Facts: Castelão is a grape variety that is planted all over Portugal which and lends itself to red, rose and fortified styles of wine. It is a versatile grape in the sense that it ripens well in both warm and cool climates, making it a reliable grape of choice for many winemakers. By far the finest examples come from the Setúbal Peninsula in southern Portugal, where it is often treated as a single varietal wine and, when it is raised in oak, it can make for some very rich, tannic and robust styles of red. It is often blended with two of Portugal’s more famous grape varieties, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), where it offers deeper colour and body to a blended wine. Fun Fact: Like so many grape varieties in Portugal, Castelão goes by more than one name. Depending on where you are, it may also be called Castelão Francês or Bastardo Castico amongst other names.