The wines of Muxagat, from Portugal’s Douro region
It was back in 2002 that João Nicolau de Almeida and Eduardo Lopes began Muxagat, a terroir project based the Douro Superior, as a sort of garage winery. After their debut 5000 bottles, they found an old winery in Mêda the following vintage, where the wines are now made.
João is now longer involved, and the winery is in the hands of Susana Lopes. Luis Seabra is consultant enologist and Ana Sofia Silva is resident winemaker. The approach is a terroir one, looking to make expressive wines in a low intervention way. I tasted through this range with Susana and Ana at Simplesmente Vinho in Porto, in 2025.
Muxagat Douro Branco 2023 Douro, Portugal
Fruity, bright and expressive with nice ripe pear fruit with a touch of mandarin and a spicy frame. 89/100
Muxagat Os Xistos Altos Rabigato 2021 Douro, Portugal
This is fermented and aged in a 2000 litre tonel. Bright and energetic, stony and mineral, this shows nice brightness with pure citrus fruit, finishing with a stony flourish. 93/100
Muxagat Riesling 2023 Douro, Portugal
From vineyards in Foz Coa at 700 m altitude. The fact that Riesling was planted here is down to a nursery mistake, but this was a bit of luck, because the wine is fantastic. Bright citrus fruit. Stony and lemony with some generosity on the mid-palate. Really good acidity and energy. 94/100
Muxagat Rosé 2021 Douro, Portugal
Thius is 50/50 Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. Bright with nice focus to the sweet strawberry fruit, with a twist of lime and some savoury characters on the finish. 90/100
Muxagat Tinta Barocca 2023 Douro, Portugal
Lovely nourishing sweet cherry and raspberry fruit with purity. Light in style and a bit crunch, this shows real elegance. 93/100
Muxagat Tinta Fransisca 2018 Douro, Portugal
Juicy and bright with sour cherry and plum fruit, as well as nice tannins. Crunchy and focused with nice purity, finishing tannic. 93/100
Muxagat Tinto 2018 Douro, Portugal
Juicy, spicy and meaty but fresh with red cherries and nice tannins. Grippy and bright, showing good restraint. Bright and focused. 93/100
Muxagat Vale Cesteiros 2018 Douro, Portugal
This is concentrated, refined and balanced with a core of sweet berry and cherry fruits. Tannic, grippy and energetic. This is really attractive with a nice savoury side to it. 94/100
Muxagat Cisne 2015 Douro, Portugal
90% Tinto Cão and 10% Rabigato. Such concentration here but also restraint. Savoury with some grip. Notes of tar and spice over a core of ripe fruit, showing nicely resolved tannins and depth. Bold stuff. 94/100
