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Castelão is a red-wine grape originating in Portugal, where it is actually the most widely grown red variety (possibly most widely grown, period).
There is an undue amount of confusion about the relation between Castelão and Periquita: a great many sources (including, as we write, Wikipedia) seem to think that Periquita is simply a synonym for Castelão, but that is quite wrong. “Periquita” is a proprietary (or “brand”) name, owned by the Jose Maria da Fonseca winery; The various Periquita bottlings will always contain Castelão, but most also contain varying amounts of other wines as well. Here is a table from the winery’s web page (as of autumn 2021):
Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita “Superyor”: Castelão (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%), Tinta Francisca (3%)
Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita “Classico”: Castelão (100%)
Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita “Reserva”: Castelão (52%) | Touriga Nacional (26%) | Touriga Francesa (22%)
Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita “Original” : Castelão (58%) | Trincadeira (39%) | Aragonez (3%)
Jose Maria da Fonseca Periquita “Branco”: shown for sale but not shown on their site
(Only the “Superyor” and possibly the “Classico” are worth serious consideration; and we could find neither available anywhere on-line in the U.S. But there are other Jose Maria da Fonseca Castelão-based reds of interest—see the list farther below.)
Castelão was also once widely known as Castelão Frances, but when Portugal tightened up its wine laws, the official name became simply “Castelão”.
What sort of wine one gets from the Castelão grape depends (as always) a good deal on how it is grown and vinified: some are described as "drink young", others as eminently age-worthy. The chief variable seems to be the tannin content (tannin-rich wines typically age much better, while low-tannin wines are for early consumption); that content, in turn, seems to depend strongly on vineyard qualities, from vine age to soil to temperatures—curiously, the vine thrives in harshly hot climes and poor, sandy soils.
What seem to be the common characteristics are fairly high acids and a medium body, with distinct raspberry qualities overlain by general red-wine spiciness. The better specimens are described variously as “dense” and “muscular” (sometimes even as “harsh when young”), with the complexity and subtlety of some much-more-famed red varietals.
Factoid: The name of the popular Castelão-based blend “Periquita” means “parakeet”, but does not derive directly from the bird name, but rather from the name of the vineyard (Cova de Periquita) in which the founding da Fonseca first planted Castelão. Other grapes sometimes found in Periquita include Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, and Aragonez (aka Tempranillo).
“The vine thrives in sandy soils but is able to adapt to a variety of conditions. It produces a wine that can be harshly tannic in its youth but softens as it ages. In the Algarve VR [appellation], it is often blended with Negra Mole to produce a wine with less aging potential but less harsh in its youth.”
“Castelão grapes from carefully-managed, low-yielding old vines can be made into well-structured wines with plenty of tannin and acidity, and fruit reminiscent of redcurrants, preserved plums and berries, sometimes with a hint of well-hung game. Castelão is rarely able to shake off a rustic character. The best examples can age very well, sometimes resembling fine old Cabernet when mature.”
“Physically, this little grape is tough, pooh poohing fertile soil in moderate climates for dry, sandy and intensely hot temperatures. When pushed to suffer, like all good masochists do, this grape magically evolves into an intense and aromatic wine with red berry and floral aromas. Consisting of small bunches of little dark skinned berries, this variety typically produces smooth and well balanced wines with good aging potentia as a result of its fondness for oak. Generally found in the Ribatejo, Estremadura and the Alentejo regions as blending grapes, its claim to fame lies in the region of Terras do Sado. Here, in the DOCs [appellations] of Palmela and Setabul, the grape thrives, sucking in the warm temperatures to produce concentrated and pungent red wines.”
“It is highly adaptable to different climatic conditions and its remarkable versatility enables winemakers to make a range of wines – from the easy drinking and quaffable reds and rosados to the powerful and intense reds perfectly suited to lengthy cellaring. Castelão comes into its own and is most expressive in the Sétubal Peninsula, where it makes meaty and intense wines with aromas of red berries and blue flowers that marry well with the deft use of oak. Castelão is a ubiquitous grape in Portugal found not only in the Setubal region but in the Tejo and in Alentejo. While many styles exist, as a rule it retains a food friendly acidity.”
“The vine produces small clusters of tiny berries which means that there's a fairly high skin to pulp ratio. This means that the wine produced from these grapes can be pretty tough and high in tannins, which is why many producers decide to use Castelão in so many blends. It gives very good color and structure while the other grapes in the blend soften its rougher edges and make it more approachable in its youth.”
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Some Descriptions of Castelão Wines
“The vine thrives in sandy soils but is able to adapt to a variety of conditions. It produces a wine that can be harshly tannic in its youth but softens as it ages. In the Algarve VR [appellation], it is often blended with Negra Mole to produce a wine with less aging potential but less harsh in its youth.”
“Castelão grapes from carefully-managed, low-yielding old vines can be made into well-structured wines with plenty of tannin and acidity, and fruit reminiscent of redcurrants, preserved plums and berries, sometimes with a hint of well-hung game. Castelão is rarely able to shake off a rustic character. The best examples can age very well, sometimes resembling fine old Cabernet when mature.”
“Physically, this little grape is tough, pooh poohing fertile soil in moderate climates for dry, sandy and intensely hot temperatures. When pushed to suffer, like all good masochists do, this grape magically evolves into an intense and aromatic wine with red berry and floral aromas. Consisting of small bunches of little dark skinned berries, this variety typically produces smooth and well balanced wines with good aging potentia as a result of its fondness for oak. Generally found in the Ribatejo, Estremadura and the Alentejo regions as blending grapes, its claim to fame lies in the region of Terras do Sado. Here, in the DOCs [appellations] of Palmela and Setabul, the grape thrives, sucking in the warm temperatures to produce concentrated and pungent red wines.”
“It is highly adaptable to different climatic conditions and its remarkable versatility enables winemakers to make a range of wines – from the easy drinking and quaffable reds and rosados to the powerful and intense reds perfectly suited to lengthy cellaring. Castelão comes into its own and is most expressive in the Sétubal Peninsula, where it makes meaty and intense wines with aromas of red berries and blue flowers that marry well with the deft use of oak. Castelão is a ubiquitous grape in Portugal found not only in the Setubal region but in the Tejo and in Alentejo. While many styles exist, as a rule it retains a food friendly acidity.”
“The vine produces small clusters of tiny berries which means that there's a fairly high skin to pulp ratio. This means that the wine produced from these grapes can be pretty tough and high in tannins, which is why many producers decide to use Castelão in so many blends. It gives very good color and structure while the other grapes in the blend soften its rougher edges and make it more approachable in its youth.”
“The wines produced from this grape are typically fruit-driven and intended to be consumed in their youth.”
“Castelão produces a hardy and robust red wine packed with raspberries and spices.”