Porca de Murca Reserva Tinto 2016 Real Companhia Velha

€ 12.40

This delicious red wine is clear and deep ruby red in color. Nicely integrated aromas of wood, vanilla and ripe red fruits. A full, soft taste with pronounced aromas of red fruit and vanilla makes this wine a truly delight!

Food pairing

Great with strong spiced meat and game dishes and strong cheeses

Grapes: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional

Ages 12 months in French oak barrels

Alcoholcontent

14 %vol

Store & Serve

Serve at 18°C

Critics & Awards

90/100 - Wine Enthusiast Tasted: May 2021

The legend of the pig

In the far north of Portugal is a small village with just over two thousand inhabitants, called Murça. Praça 31 de Janeiro is home to one of the most famous images of Portugal: the “Porca de Murça”. It is a granite statue of a huge pig. Of course, this includes a legend, which has undergone some changes over the years, but the most traditional version is:

In the eighth century, the area around Murça was ravaged by many bears and wild boars. The population enlisted the help of the noblemen to hunt the animals, as a result of which they were virtually exterminated or expelled to more distant areas. However, one of the pigs was so large, savage and wild that the hunters failed to kill the animal. In 755 the Senhor of Murça, a strong and courageous knight, managed to free the population from the monstrous beast. The statue was erected in gratitude and the residents donated three pounds of beeswax to the nobleman and his heirs every year.

Small contradiction in this story is that it is the Porca de Murça, or the “Sow of Murça”, although it is clearly a bear (in the sense of a male pig). For that reason, it may make more sense that this pig's origins lie with the pre-Romanesque peoples who used such images as a fertility symbol. In addition to the pig in the square, you will also find the Porca de Murça in the coat of arms of the city.

Tags: Douro - Real Companhia Velha