Quinta da Fonte Souto (red) 2017, Symington Family Estates

A great buy at this Offer Price. There’s a lot going on in this richly textured and complex red. Loads of hedgerow berries, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cedar and tobacco.

Beautiful fine grained tannins and lovely integrated oak. Has a pleasing balsamic and herbal overtone. Enjoy with hearty fayre, and open 1 – 2 hours before serving.

40% Alicante Bouschet
25% Trincadeira
15% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Syrah
10% Alfrocheiro

50% of the blend aged 6 months in second and third year 400l French oak barrels. Bottled in March 2019.

Production notes – The Fonte Souto Estate red wine embodies all the strengths of the property’s unique terroir: the freshness and balance afforded by the altitude; the concentration, which derives from mature, low-yielding vines, and the complexity and structure provided by the judicious combination of grape varieties. This red is built around the signature Alicante Bouschet with important contributions from Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Alfrocheiro.

Vintage overview – Temperatures and rainfall during the winter were close to the seasonal average for the region, but temperatures rose substantially during the spring and this accelerated the vines’ growth cycle. The considerable heat continued during the summer with virtually no rainfall from the middle of May. However, the advanced growth cycle and the good management of the water reserves accumulated during the winter and beginning of spring, and the diurnal temperature variation (hot days, cool nights), typical of higher altitudes, favoured balanced and complete ripening, all the more remarkable in such a hot, dry year. The harvest was one of the earliest in living memory and it was possible to harvest selectively, ensuring that all the parcels were picked at the right time. Low yields, combined with excellent maturations, paved the way for wines of great concentration and of exceptional quality.

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.