Today I had the opportunity to taste two dry wines from Portugal’s Quinta da Fonte Souto and Symington Family Estates. Below are notes from the winery on each wine followed by my wine tasting notes in italics.
2021 Quinta da Fonte Souto White 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 barrel fermentation sur-lie with bâtonnage. This white blend allows for maximum expression of the Arinto (75%), widely regarded as Portugal’s finest white grape variety and a smaller Verdelho component (25%). 2021 is the Symington family’s fifth vintage since purchasing the estate in 2017.
EB: A pale yellow color, with a darker edge, clean and clear – that is the first observation. Aromas included fruit cocktail, Mandarin orange peel, fleshy peach and apricot – peach was the most prominent. In the mouth the prominent flavor was fresh cut pineapple followed by orange; it was like biting into crisp and fresh citrus fruit, providing a good mouthfeel that went very well with a spicy fish creole we had for dinner.
2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Red is a blend built around the leading grape, Alicante Bouschet (45%), with important contributions from Syrah (30%) and Alfrocheiro (25%). 2019 was a dry and mild year resulting in an especially fresh and aromatic vintage. Yields were low, contributing to balance and high quality grapes, producing a very fresh, elegant wine with well-defined texture.
EB: Dark garnet color with a lighter edge, clean and opaque. On the nose I was reminded of crushed blackberry and blueberry, some sage, grilled mushroom and toasted oak. On the palate I was met with that same dark fruit and mushroom, a little spiciness and finished with mellow tannins delivering a medium length finish. We finished the bottle with friends during a holiday open house, everyone enjoyed it. Good to drink now, or hold a few years.
About Quinta da Fonte Souto
Quinta da Fonte Souto is located on the Serra de São Mamede within Portalegre, a sub-region in the Alentejo, renowned for wines of superior concentration and minerality. The 511 acre Fonte Souto estate, known for its striking chestnut grove, or “souto,” includes 106 acres of mature vineyards located at an altitude of 1,640 feet within the São Mamede National Park that rises to 3,400 feet, the highest mountain range in southern Portugal. As a result, vineyards benefit from cooler conditions than most areas of the Alentejo, which offer a bright and refreshing quality to the wines. A visit to Quinta da Fonte Souto is a unique opportunity to explore this special property, including a variety of guided tours and tastings.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
