Medium yellow-gold color; lemon, orange marmalade, apricot on the nose; lemon curd, lemon zest, grapefruit, green apple, apricot, beeswax on the palate.
Dry; rich, lush, vibrant in the mouth. The beeswax element coats the mouth and nicely juxtaposes with excellent acidity. Medium-full body. Fresh with admirable power and intensity. No tannins. Blend of 75% arinto, 25% verdelho. The acidity and quality of the arinto grapes makes this a wine that is delicious now but has aging potential of up to seven years; 14% ABV.
Symington begins fermentation in stainless steel, but after the start of alcoholic fermentation part of the must moves to 500-litre French oak barrels. That wine remains on the lees for eight months with frequent stirring. The rest remains in stainless. The wine then is aged in French oak, Central European oak, and acacia wood, still in contact with the lees. All this delivers a wine that is delicious and complex.
The Symington acquired the 511 acre estate in the Portalegre subregion of the Alentejo area of southern Portugal in 2017. The Alentejo DOC is Portugal’s largest wine region in terms of production and sales. Symington’s purchase was the family’s first purchase outside of the Douro Valley.
Symington has long been the dominant maker of Porto from Douro and the largest vineyard owner in the Douro. The Symington Portalegre property includes 106 acres of mature vineyards at 1,600-1,800 feet above sea level adjacent to the São Mamede National Park that rises to 3,400 feet, the highest mountain range in southern Portugal.
According to Rupert Symington: “Quinta da Fonte Souto is a wonderful terroir in one of the finest wine making sub-regions of Portugal. We are excited to know that the wines we have made at our estate near Portalegre are of the exacting quality standards that we aspire to in our top Douro estates, while displaying distinct characteristics of the local varietals and soils.The superb quality of this mountain vineyard combined with the success of the region is an ideal platform from which to launch our first red and white wines from outside the Douro.”
Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, Alentejo DOC 2017 is lush, delicious, complex. Superb acidity makes it great food wine, also sets it up for aging. This is white with power and depth. Pair with rich seafood, including Portugal’s bacalhau (salt cod), crab, lobster; dressed salads; marinated antipasto; lighter meats; quail; fish fillets; vegetables brochettes; can work with poultry and lighter meats and Portuguese sausages such as chouriço (a heavily smoked sausage made of pork, garlic, paprika, and piri-piri sauce). $30
