Lobo e Falcão Centenário Grande Reserva 2021

Lobo e Falcão Centenário Grande Reserva is one of the finest Portuguese red wines we’ve ever offered. It’s made at a legendary family estate and comes with a great backstory...

A History-Making Estate
Founded in 1770, the estate of José Lobo de Vasconcelos (shown below), which is called Quinta do Casal Branco, has been in his family for over 250 years. A ‘casal’ is the Portuguese equivalent of a château, and Casal Branco is an exquisite example. The 1,100-hectare estate was once the largest royal falcon hunting ground in Portugal, and is now famous for breeding supremely elegant Lusitano dressage horses. It lies in the heart of Tejo, an exciting Portuguese wine region on the banks of the river Tagus, just north of Lisbon. And this is one of the most distinctive Tejo reds you’ll find.

An “Illegal” Vineyard
There’s a patch of ancient vines (100+ years old) on José’s estate that bureaucrats argue is illegal to be labelled as ‘Tejo,’ because the vines are planted among equally old olive trees. That’s simply the way farmers used to plant out their land a century back. José is adamant he won’t change that—and the wine tastes all the better for it.

A True Portuguese Fine Wine
José and his team (led by head winemaker Joana Lopes) put the utmost care into the wine. The grapes are foot-trodden in traditional lagars, which extracts maximum flavor and color. Then, it’s fermented in great stone tanks and given the ‘Grande Reserva’ treatment: nearly a year in the estate’s finest French oak barrels. Named for the treasured, 100+ year old vines, Centenário Grande Reserva is a classically elegant European red. It offers complex layers of dark fruit, an excellent structure and perfect balance—on par with a top Bordeaux.

Leaders in Sustainability
In early 2024, Casal Branco earned a Sustainability Certification from ViniPortugal (the official association of the Portuguese wine industry). They are proudly the first and only winery in Tejo to earn this title, thanks to implementing various “green” approaches. (To name a few: promoting biodiversity in the vineyard, efficient water management, composting for organic fertilization, using renewable energy sources and reuse of materials with a lower carbon footprint.)

As our customer, you have exclusive access to this luxurious Grande Reserva. Secure your share today.