ESCUDIAL, a name evocative of the fights in floral games of the noblemen of the Civitas or the horsemen by the S. João and the celebrations in honor of the great ones of the country.
A storm blew down the Great Cedar and Escudial thus losing its tall king of the hills, whose spreading branches had been much appreciated by the crowds on feast days.
When the gigantic tree fell down, the owner of Escudial at that time, was walking right next to it. And as he suffered no injury, he immediately decided to build a chapel in recognition of what he considered to be a miracle.
Quinta do Escudial is a family-owned company located at the bottom of the Serra da Estrela mountain. The vineyards are planted on poor granitic soils 600 meters above sea level. Low temperatures and humidity during the winter and high temperatures in the summer. The original 3.5 hectares of older vines from the ’50s at Quinta do Escudial [were] joined in 2003 by a further three hectares of vineyards planted with traditional Dão varieties (Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Tinta Roriz).
José, a former electrical engineer, and wife, Estefânia, a teacher, founded the estate in 2003. Their personal taste led Quinta do Escudial to “bet on the exclusive production of unoaked wines.” They say, “It’s not a flag, it’s just a concept.”
