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 >
We had a long harvest, starting on August 17th and ending on October 8th. First to
be picked was Verdelho, closely followed by Aragonez. The Arinto was harvested in
stages from the end of August, to produce wines with differing profiles. During early
September, we picked a second batch of Aragonez and started picking Alfrocheiro.
A cool July provided excellent levels of acidity in the white grapes, delivering fresh,
expressive aromatics. From mid- August, rising temperatures provoked a rapid
advance in maturations, pointing to an early vintage. That wasn’t to be, though, as
lower temperatures and rain returned at the end of the month, slowing maturations,
and prompting us to pause the vintage, which only picked up again from September
16th — for the remaining reds: Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, Touriga Nacional and
Trincadeira. This is a year of elegance, with the acidity and aromatic exuberance
expected from a cooler year, combining with very fine textures and balance.
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.
Fermentation begins in stainless steel vats but immediately after alcoholic
fermentation commences, part of the must is transferred to 500-litre French oak
barrels (this higher capacity minimises the impact of the wood on the aromatic
component). The must is left in contact with the lees with frequent bâtonnage
(stirring the lees) in order to encourage extraction of compounds that contribute
complexity and structure and that balance very well with the good acidity
provided by the altitude of the São Mamede Range.
Verdelho
14.5
PORTUGAL
6
Cork
Quinta da Fonte Souto
Vegan
Vegetarian 
Fact Sheet
