Quinta do Palato: six friends, one vineyard

How it began

In 2007 the first wines were made with estate grapes, in Muxagata. The following year, in 2008, Carloto Magalhães and five friends acquired Quinta do Palato, and the Palato do Côa brand took shape. The project brings together six partners bound by friendship, wine and the Douro.

The estate sits in Muxagata, in the Douro Superior, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa. It is a diverse property — vineyard, olive grove, almond trees and pasture areas — at the heart of the Côa Valley, a territory of agricultural landscape and millennia-old human memory. It was here, in this innermost reach of the Douro, that the project took root.

Who makes the wine

Winemaking is led by Carloto Magalhães, with viticulture and oenology coordination by Paulo Schreck, with the project since 2017. Together they translate the estate’s identity into wines of different profiles and collections — from the more immediate everyday wines to the special editions.

The vineyard

Old vines over 60 years survive on the estate. From those rare plots come the most limited editions of the house — wines still foot-trodden, in a stone lagar. The vineyard shares the land with olive groves, almond trees and pasture, on an estate that is also part of the Côa Valley landscape.

One decision at a time

Every decision begins in the vineyard and with the correct sourcing for each range. Palato do Côa and single-parcel editions come from the estate; Vinhas do Côa combines grapes from two partner-owned estates. Limited production allows each harvest to be followed closely, from vineyard to final lot.

The Côa collections

The house brings together Douro collections with different sourcing. Vinhas do Côa is the gateway, Douro DOC and made with grapes from two estates owned by the partners; Palato do Côa and the old-vine parcels come from the estate in Muxagata.

Hoje, a Palato do Côa começa a construir a sua presença no Brasil — com origem, história e materiais de apoio ao canal profissional. Muda o mercado, mas não muda o ponto de partida: uma quinta, seis amigos e uvas próprias em Muxagata.