Producer >
The Symington's family’s first property outside the Douro region. Quinta da Fonte Souto is in the Portalegre subregion of the Alto Alentejo in southern Portugal. Close to the São Mamede range (1,025 metres), the property benefits from the area’s altitude with its cooler microclimate in sharp contrast to the Alentejo region’s typically hot and dry conditions. Yields are low due to the schist and granite soils, which are less fertile than those found in the flat and rolling terrain which characterizes the majority of the Alentejo. There are 207 hectares on the property, of which 43 are planted with vines. The principal grape varieties are Aragonês, Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The property has a substantial chestnut grove, from which its name is derived — ‘souto’ refers to a wooded area planted with chestnut trees.
Viticulture >
The 2022 viticultural year in Portalegre was marked by low rainfall in winter and
spring and a succession of heat waves during July and August, which presented
some challenges in managing hydric stress. However, the vines resisted the
extreme heat surprisingly well and the significant lowering of temperatures
through September favoured good maturations. The vintage started on August
16th with the Verdelho, followed by Arinto. Both showed excellent maturations
and acidity, delivering wines with fresh and aromatically generous profiles,
reflecting the typicity of these varieties. Harvesting of the white grapes began in
early September, following a period of rain with Arinto once again showing how
well adapted it is to the region’s natural conditions, preserving its freshness and
good acidity despite the high temperatures which persisted through the greater
part of its ripening cycle. Generally, and the climatic challenges notwithstanding,
the vintage went very well delivering balanced, very aromatically expressive wines,
which reflect the altitude of Quinta da Fonte Souto.
Winemaking >
The hand-picked grapes are placed in small, shallow boxes and taken to the
on-site winery. Manual sorting is followed by destemming and gentle crushing
after which the grapes are transferred to a pneumatic press for a light pressing
to minimize extraction of colour and phenolic compounds. Fermentation takes
place in stainless steel vats at low temperatures in order to conserve the wine’s
aromatic expression. The start of malolactic fermentation is prevented, thus
ensuring the wine’s crisp, fresh character
Aragonez
14
PORTUGAL
6
Cork
Quinta da Fonte Souto
Vegan
Vegetarian 
Fact Sheet
