Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Alfrocheiro, Old Vines (field blend)
75cl * Vegan * 14.5% ABV * Alentejo, Portugal
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.
Made of predominantly Syrah with a balance of indigenous Portuguese grapes and 10% Old Vines (field blend), 50% of the blend was then aged for 8 months in large old French oak barrels before bottling finally takes place in March 2020. This attention to detail yields a smooth but complex wine full of pine forest aromas and a touch of mint alongside blackberry fruits and black plum. It has a very fine textured in the mouth with delicious, bright flavours of blackberries and a slight suggestion of liquorice, perhaps from the wine’s sizeable Syrah component. On the midpalate there are fine-grained tannins and some tension from the good acidity that underscores the wine’s freshness and balance. The long aftertaste suggests some promising ageing potential.
Excellent match for the traditional Portuguese duck and rice dish, 'Arroz da pato'.
"Attractive aromas of black cherries and ripe raspberries with cherry chocolate and red licorice. Juicy and tense with medium to full body and polished tannin structure. Refined and sleek. Spiced dark fruit and minerals in the finish. Drink or hold." 92/100 Points, James Suckling (Sep 2023)
"There are touches of beef, smooth and unctuous texture, plus power on the finish. It finishes with some brightness as well as that tannic pop. The fruit is very lifted on the finish, but this is not a fruit-forward wine." 90/100 Points, Wine Advocate (July 2021)
"A nice, seductive wine, with a velvety-textured core of warmed cherry and plum puree, backed by singed vanilla and a subtle sanguine thread on the finish. Delivers a late flicker of violet. Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Alfrocheiro. Drink now through 2024. 2,469 cases made, 250 cases imported." 90/100 Points, Wine Spectator (Dec 2021)