Horácio Simões Moscatel de Setúbal

Antique gold, with an intensely perfumed nose of rose water, lychee and Seville orange marmalade. In the mouth, the palate is silky smooth, with shredless orange marmalade, barley sugar, booze-soaked, succulent white currants and a hint of Nuttall’s butter mintoes (toffee and mint for the uninitiated!) Opening up, sweet mandarin, baking spices and nutty almond notes emerge. Dangerously moreish and, with exemplary balance, it is not in the least mawkish. Luís Camacho Simões, the winemaker, reckons it will improve for many years. But can you resist it?

100% Moscatel de Setúbal

The grapes come from five acres planted on clay-limestone soils. The grapes were briefly fermented on skins in cement vats without temperature control, then fortified with brandy to halt the ferment at the desired sweetness level. After macerating on skins for five to six months, the wine was pressed, then aged for around two years in a combination of stainless steel and wooden casks.

Best served lightly chilled 14 -16°C

Pastel de nata, Pudim De Laranja (orange caramel custard) or Toucinho Do Céu (rich egg yolk almond cake with orange creme fraiche).