It is located in Amareleja where the heat is so intense that the constant maximum temperature records are famous. Strong here are also the traditions of drinking a glass of wine with friends to accompany the little cheeses and everything that is pork among other delicacies. The freshness of the winery, the tavern and the hand-crafted wine help to catch up and the anecdotes that strengthen the bonds of friendship, make up much of the inspiring atmosphere and experience of the Adega Marel project.
Functional at the beginning of 2018, the project is very young and so is the Adega Marel team. David Morgado is the visible, young and smiling face of the family's desire and love of wine for who is and always has been connected to the land and wine. David, his father, Mr. Amândio Ramos and grandfather Tonico, are living proof, each with their own contribution, of the communion between generations by carrying on the preservation of memories that are still alive and, very especially, the intense passion for carved wine.
Throughout time, the way of making wine in clay pots has been passed down from generation to generation and has never been done in a single way, changing according to the tradition of each place. The clay pots used are a differentiating factor that must always be taken into account in the personality of the carved wine. Adega Marel makes its "Talha" Wines in old clay pots, acquired from all over Amareleja, each one with its history and particularity acquired throughout the years of use. Here the main character is grandfather Tonico, with the "I do it like this", transmitting his knowledge made of experience and wisdom.
Defending and protecting the "Talha" wine means recovering and valuing the old vines and traditional varieties and that it makes no sense to forget or leave aside the ancestral practices of vine culture.
The wines from Adega Marel are the result of the aggregate of seven vineyards of varying sizes and a set of more traditional varieties of various ages together with other more modern ones. Some of these vineyards are totally destined to the "Vinho de Talha", in particular the grapes coming from old vineyards (mostly "pé-franco"). This is the case of the vineyard called Pura, registered in 1931, with around 1.7 ha, made up of the Diagalves (or Pendura) variety. There is also an old Diagalves vineyard in another vineyard, the Asper, here sprinkled with Moreto vines that the former owner planted in place of the gaps. Also dedicated to the "Talha" wine, but red, the vineyard Bancaleiro with about 1 hectare and more than 20 years old, composed of the castes Castelão, Moreto and Trincadeira.
In the remaining vineyards, a good diversity of castes in varied soils are ingredients used and thought to serve the concepts of the various ranges of wines from Adega Marel, even including some ongoing experimentation.
Manolito is a tribute wine to an uncle of the creators of Adega Marel, an Alentejo man from the border, a connoisseur of the world and a passionate traveller, but deeply marked by his origins and traditions. The wine pays tribute to him by combining the wine produced in the talha with grapes from older vines, without temperature control, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, with a wine of contemporary techniques, with grapes from young vines, produced in stainless steel, with temperature control.
Tonico range, white and red Talha wine, produced with traditional grape varieties, from the oldest vineyards, harvested by hand. This wine is totally fermented in old clay pots, all different and of various ages and without temperature control. One can already see that the hand of Grandfather Tonico was here.
As for the Marel wines, totally fermented in stainless steel, with temperature control and based on regional castes, it wants to be a faithful witness of its territory.
Adega Marel has soon established itself with delicious wines, in a combination of generations without inflexible truths but of unshakeable conviction in doing very well.
