Presenting the guitars in the Marquês de Pombal’s former wine cellar was the perfect way to reveal them to the world.
It meant that the wood came home, standing as guitars in the place where it once stood as wine barrels – the perfect place to represent the ideas of renewal and regeneration that have been inspiring us all throughout this project. Pombal made his mark overseeing the rebuilding of Lisbon and the modernisation of Portugal after the devastating earthquake of 1755, spurring on the Enlightenment thinking that radically changed Europe. Central to that thinking were ideas of renewal and regeneration.
And those ideas are found in the palace itself and in the Carcavelos wine produced by the winery. The palace has been fully restored, and the winery has worked tirelessly to revive the once prestigious Carcavelos wine and bring it back to the world stage, in some ways retreading the steps that Pombal took in his own life, when he oversaw Carcavelos reaching its peak of popularity and reputation. Behind the guitars is a presentation of the history of Carcavelos wine.
The perfect place, then, to show these guitars to the world for the first time, as part of the incredible event put on by Villa Oeiras in the beautiful grounds of the palace.
THE WINE & VILLA OEIRAS
Wine, art, heritage, music and finally friendship give unity and uniqueness to this grandiose and unique project.
Alexandre Eurico Lisboa, 2023
The winery becoming part of the project closed the circle. Using all necessary procedures their share of the old, dusty blanks was crafted into a 7000 l and a 1000 l barrel, starting an experiment of discovering the effect of this wood on the fortified wine. Would the 250 year old aroma infuse the golden liquid?
A special edition of 2000 bottles was now filled from the smaller barrel. The wine from the 2010 harvest has aged impressively, distinct from the others produced so far. With a golden yellow color with reddish hints and brightness, it has aromas that bring out spicy and satiny notes combined with new wood bark. The nobility of the wood gives it an elegant and sweet tannin, combined with an elegant freshness and complexity – it has a long, dense and persistent finish.
The result is a wonderous reflection of the combination of the various elements that make this story so unique.
As one of the most beloved historical heritages in Oeiras, Carcavelos Wine was at the verge of extinction. Once, the Generoso was the flagship wine for the powerful.
Marques of Pombal. Back in the XVIII century Pombal produced Carcavelos, rivaling with Port wine.
Today Carcavelos Wine prevails as the only publicly held wine production of the country, after surpassing diseases, forgery and most of all huge real estate pressures. This rebirth of the most exclusive of the Portuguese fortified wines at Villa Oeiras was initiated by the City Council of Oeiras. The winery is located only 20 minutes away from Lisbon, facing the Atlantic ocean where unique white varieties perform their best.
