"75% Arinto, 25% Verdelho"
The 207-hectare Quinta da Fonte Souto was acquired by the Symington family in 2017 and is their first vineyard outside the Douro. Lying on the slopes of the São Mamede Range at an altitude of 500 metres in the Alentejo sub-region of Portalegre, the property benefits from cooler and wetter conditions than the hot Alentejo plain. The Fonte Souto wines express the freshness and elegance provided by the altitude, as well as the structure and complexity from the estate’s extensive collection of mature, low-yielding vines.
The 2022 viticultural year in Portalegre was marked by low rainfallin winter and spring and a succession of heat waves during July and August, which presented some challenges in managing hydric stress. However, the vines resistedthe extreme heat surprisingly well and the significant lowering oftemperatures 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 generousprofiles, reflecting the typicity of these varieties.
Harvesting of the white grapes began in early September, following a period of rainwith Arinto once again showing how well adapted it is to the region’s natural conditions, preserving its freshness and goodacidity 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.
