The Rabigato grape is native to the Douro valley, an ideal environment of slopes and high altitudes that reveal its authenticity. For centuries, it was confused with other varieties with similar names — such as Rabo de Ovelha — but today, it is recognized as one of the region's most distinctive white grape varieties.
With medium to large bunches and small, yellowish-green berries, Rabigato stands out for its resistance to oxidation and remarkable ageing potential. Its firm acidity and surprising structure make it essential in Douro white blends and a grape variety of choice in varietal vinifications.
Rabigato reveals itself with elegance and precision. Fresh notes of lemon and lime, occasionally punctuated by grapefruit, intersect with delicate white flowers such as orange blossom, jasmine, and acacia. In some expressions, herbal nuances emerge — rosemary, thyme, or green leaves — and a very distinctive mineral signature: evoking wet stone, chalk, and earthy traces that reveal the schist soils of the Douro.
On the palate, it is fresh, direct, and full of tension. The vibrant acidity and balanced alcohol content give it a striking, firm, and subtle presence. The aromatic intensity is generally medium, but time reveals unexpected layers of complexity, which is why its ageing potential is increasingly valued.
At Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias, Rabigato is present in all our DOC white wines, where it plays an essential role in defining the house profile: mineral, balanced wines with terroir authenticity and natural longevity. It is therefore present in all our DOC white wines: in the Hasso and Quinta do Convento ranges, both in the vintage and Reserva, culminating in limited editions of the single-varietal Ponte do Fumo Rabigato, launched in years of exceptional harvests.
