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.
Reviews
This is the first release of an alicante bouschet from Fonte Souto, the Symington family’s project in the northern hills of Alentejo. The altitude of the estate in Portalegre, close to 1,600 feet, encourages a wide diurnal shift, the cool nights apparent in the freshness of the wine. Aged in 400-liter, second-use French oak barrels, the wine feels draped in oak, the wood tones melding with the dark tannins of alicante bouschet to give a chocolate impression. But there’s a tense, rosebud character to those tannins that’s equal to the intensity of the black fruit. This is still young: You can taste the future of the wine in the earthy detail of the tannins at the end. Saturated without being thick, dry but not dried out, this is a wine that will reward cellar time.
Pure dark berries, crushed spicy herbs, young walnuts and overturned earth. Medium- to full-bodied. Shows depth and dark fruit richness with succulency and length. Polished and refined tannins coming through seamlessly. Bright and vivid finish. Drink or hold.
Editors' Choice
This powerful wine shows the true richness of Alicante Bouschet. Dark in color, the wine is dense with solid black fruits and a fine perfumed aftertaste. Now mature, it's ready to drink.