Located in Tierra de Barros, Extremadura, Palacio Quemado is the result of a partnership between the Losada Serra family, owners of a big agricultural holding in the area, and the Alvear family, renowned producers in Montilla-Moriles since the 18th century. Wines are made under the DO Ribera del Guadiana and VT Extremadura categories.
The property is located in Alange, to the south of Vegas del Guadiana and close to the foothills of the Sierra Morena mountain range. Spanning nearly 100 hectares, the vineyards are planted on a chalky bedrock 1.5m deep with red clay on the surface and some sandy plots. Chalk is more prominent on higher ground, while clay content increases in lower sites. The gently undulating terrain provides a variety of sun exposures. The average elevation is about 520 metres. The vineyard design accommodates both manual and mechanical harvesting.
Planted between 2001 and 2003, half of the vineyard is Tempranillo, while the rest includes international varieties like Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside local grapes grown on both sides of the border with Portugal: Garnacha, Alicante Bouschet and Portuguese varieties like Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira Preta, Alfrocheiro and Touriga Franca. Palacio Quemado is a pioneer in cultivating Portuguese grape varieties well adapted to the climatic conditions of the region. Most of them are late ripening varieties that adapt well to the region's high temperatures and can bring freshness to the wines. This was a decisive factor in the official approval of these varieties in Extremadura.
Work is also underway to create an experimental vineyard to further research which white and red grape varieties are best suited to the estate’s terroir.
Between 2010 and 2019, Envínate, the team of maverick winemakers that helped Alvear to develop the Tres Miradas range in Montilla-Moriles, was behind the wines of Palacio Quemado. Since 2019, Portuguese winemaker Luis Lopes, with extensive experience in the Dão region, has taken on the role of consultant.
The wines
The wines that best reflect Palacio Quemado’s fruit-driven, aromatic, and fresh style of reds include La Zarcita (€17 in Spain), named after a stream crossing the estate, and the single-vineyard Los Acilates (around €16). Both of them are sold under the VT Extremadura category in Burgundy-shaped bottles. A recent addition to the range is La Raya (€28 in Spain), a blend of Trincadeira Preta with some Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. The name, meaning “the line”, refers to the area separating Spain and Portugal. Geographical barriers are non-existent here, so it made sense to grow varieties from the other side of the border, even more so if it results in fresher, more expressive wines.
Wine making techniques include the use of indigenous yeasts, occasional whole bunch fermentation, and ageing in 500-litre casks or large foudres. Concrete is also being introduced for both fermentation and ageing.
The classic range includes PQ Vendimia Seleccionada, a blend of Tempranillo and some Alicante Bouschet with three months in barrels; Palacio Quemado Crianza (around €9.5), a blend of Tempranillo and a splash of Petit Verdot from clay-limestone soils; and Palacio Quemado Reserva (€13 in Spain) which blends Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on limestone stony soils. These wines are labelled as DO Ribera del Guadiana in Bordeaux-shaped bottles.
Palacio Quemado has been part of the Grandes Pagos de España association since 2015 and is the only producer from Extremadura among its members.
Wine tours and tastings are available by appointment.