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 Fonte Souto Estate white 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 barrel fermentation sur-lie (on the lees) with bâtonnage. This white allows for maximum expression of the Arin to, widely regarded as Portugal's finest white grape variety and has a smaller Verdelho component.