Deep purple color; blackberry, black cherry, black plum, raspberry, blueberry, licorice, leather, smoke, some oak/alfrocheiro spice notes on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth, tasty tannins and complementing acidity. Fresh, earthy, with a meaty subplot. Somewhat subdued fruit, but fresh and delicious. Blend of 45% alicante bouschet, 30% alfrocheiro, with remainder mostly syrah. This is departure from the previous vintage, which was 100% alicante bouschet. This vintage is more focused and earthier; black fruits rule. Its more rustic elements mellow with air time, so you can consider decanting, but I enjoyed the meaty beginning and its evolution in glass. 14.5% ABV
Grapes harvested by hand. Fermented in stainless steel. Some 50% aged in second-and-third use barrels, so there are some oak elements, but the oak regimen imparts texture and softens tannins rather than adding aromas and spice. Medium-plus body. This vintage is a less fruity, more earthy-rustic-meaty effort that is more layered with nuances and progression in the glass. Another fine effort from Symington and Portugal.
Alicante bouschet is known as a finicky, diva grape. It is a cross of grenache and petit bouschet. Created by Henri Bouschet at Domaine de la Calmette in the French Languedoc in the 1850s. Petit bouschet, in its own right, is a cross between aramon noir and an unknown red grape created by Henri’s father, Louis Bouchet. Alicante bouschet delivers power and structure while maintaining freshness.
Alfrocheiro is known for its deep color and balanced sugars and acids. As a blender, it delivers rich color, velvety texture, spiciness, and a remarkable balance of tannins and alcohol. Although still a minor grape in Portugal, it has experienced significant growth in the Alentego region, where this wine comes from. It is one of Portugal’s oldest grapes and likely the progenitor of castelão and moreto.
The grapes for this effort come from three mature vineyards—vines more than 25 years old—planted at 1,640 feet. The Symington family acquired the 511 acre estate in the Portalegre subregion of the Alentejo area of southern Portugal, east of Lisbon, 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. Winemakers for this effort included Charles Symington, Pedro Correia, and José Daniel Soares.
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 de Fonte Souto Alicante Bouschet Tinto, Alentejo DOC 2019 is elegant iteration of a Symington effort introduced in 2017 that is nicely evolving. It is another example of how spectacular Portuguese wine is today. It is distinctive and delicious. Smooth with intriguing rustic elements. An opulence of black fruit over-achieving. Pair with red meats; barbecued red meats; lamb; beef; veal; spare ribs; baby-back ribs and pork barbecue; barbecued and roasted chicken; comfort foods—meat-lover pizza, burgers, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs. Cheese—hard cheeses; asiago, comté, emmental, grana padano, gruyère, manchego, permesan, pecorino romano, roncal. $25-32
Symington Quinta da Fonte website
