Taste Guide: Moscatel de Setúbal Cask

Moscatel de Setúbal is Portugal's third great dessert wine alongside Madeira and Port. Like these, Moscatel de Setúbal is also a fortified wine.

Although the wine-growing region around Setúbal has enjoyed appellation status after the Douro since 1907, the sweet wines from this wine-growing region, some of which are outstanding, are almost unknown in Central Europe. In the Setúbal region, which is characterised not only by the climatic influences of the Atlantic Ocean in autumn, but above all by cool and very humid air currents from the Tejo estuary, it is mainly Moscatel of Alexandria and Moscatel Galego Branco that are cultivated, which also make up at least 85 percent of Moscatel de Setúbal. These wines can carry the highest Portuguese quality seal for fortified wines VLQPRD (Vinhos Licorosos de Qualidade Produzidos em Região Determinada). The Muscat vines find excellent growing and ripening conditions on the calcareous, sandy and clayey soils of the peninsula. The best sites are located in the limestone areas of the Serra da Arrábida.

The speciality of the production process for these wines is that they are left to macerate for a very long time (six months or more). The late-harvested grapes are de-stemmed and lightly crushed and placed in mash vats or concrete tanks, where they ferment for a relatively short time until an alcohol level of 12% by volume is reached with a residual sugar content of less than 100 grams/litre. Afterwards, the wine is vigorously fortified with grape brandy so that the yeasts die off and fermentation stops. This fermentation material is then stored in the fermentation vats for at least six months, but often up to a year, before it is pressed, filtered and transferred to large oak or sometimes mahogany barrels. The young wine then matures for at least five years, but usually considerably longer, before being bottled. Originally, selected Moscatels also travelled by ship to the Portuguese overseas provinces in relatively small barrels on the Torna viagem, which particularly helped the ageing process. Today, modern cellar technology makes this time-consuming process unnecessary; however, wines that have passed the Torna viagem are still stored in the cellars of some producers; they are now well over 100 years old and are of the best drinking quality.

Moscatel de Setúbal is a sweet dessert wine, but its sweetness is never overpowering and its alcohol content is high. Successful products have a wealth of exotic aromas, in which flavours of orange peel, cinnamon and coriander, as well as a variety of fruit tones, can be felt alongside the typical muscatel note of the grape variety. In wines that have been aged for a very long time, caramel and chocolate flavours predominate and the products have an almost viscous, creamy consistency. All of these wines are very good, and the best of them can be kept almost indefinitely. (From: Wikipedia. The free encyclopaedia)

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Kilchoman’s first Moscatel de Setúbal bottling was released in May 2025 as part of the Uniquely Islay Series – An t-Earrach 2025 launched by German importer Hanseatische Weinhandelsgesellschaft Bremen. It was a five-and-a-half-year-old full maturation, meaning that, unlike other ‘experimental cask types’, Kilchoman had not previously introduced this cask type as a finish. In addition, as with the other bottlings announced so far, the cask was described somewhat vaguely as a ‘Muscatel’ cask rather than specifically as a Moscatel de Setúbal cask. Given the large number of wines and fortified wines produced in various countries under the names Muscatel / Moscatel / Muskatwein, this would have been desirable.

Another ‘Muscatel’ bottling has been announced for the American market. It is expected to be released at the end of the year as No. 02/2025 in the renowned Cask Evolution Series from American importer ImpEx Beverages.

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Kilchoman Moscatel de Setúbal Releases:

Release	Cask No.	Date Filled	Date Bottled	Maturation Time
5 yo Muscatel Single Cask (ImpEx Cask Evolution 02/2025)	1474/2019	22.09.2019	21.02.2025	Over five years
Muscatel Single Cask (Uniquely Islay Series – An t-Earrach 2025, #5/6)	1451/2019	21.09.2019	08.04.2025	Five and a half years

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