We began picking at Quinta da Fonte Souto on August 7, the earliest harvest at the property in the last 20 years. We had an early growth cycle brought on by a wet winter and unseasonably warm spring, with maturations progressing at a good pace (even and gradual) and resulting in very balanced ripening. The last grapes came into the winery on October 13, meaning we had an unprecedented two-month long harvest at the estate. In September, we had twice the average monthly rainfall and took the bold decision to pause picking several times to allow the vines to benefit from the rain and to wait for drier, warmer weather to return. This paid off and we had fantastic conditions for ripening in the final stages of the harvest. The moderate conditions this year have given rise to fresh, aromatic, well structured and balanced wines.