{"product_id":"quinta-da-fonte-souto-vinha-do-souto-2018-750ml","title":"Quinta da Fonte Souto - Vinha do Souto 2018 (750ml)","description":"\u003cp\u003eQUINTA DA FONTE SOUTO\u003cbr\u003e\nVINHA DO SOUTO 2018\u003cbr\u003e\nTHE WINE\u003cbr\u003e\nThis is the flagship wine of the estate, named after its beautiful chestnut\u003cbr\u003e\ngroves (Soutos), that lie close to the vineyards from which the grapes are\u003cbr\u003e\nsourced, namely the finest parcels of Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. The\u003cbr\u003e\nlower vigor of these vines and the low yields resulted in concentrated,\u003cbr\u003e\nstructured wines that also reflect the singular freshness which the altitude\u003cbr\u003e\nprovides.\u003cbr\u003e\nVINTAGE OVERVIEW\u003cbr\u003e\nThe winter was cold and initially quite dry, but from the end of February\u003cbr\u003e\nand until June, rainfall levels were above the 30-year average, particularly\u003cbr\u003e\nduring March and April. A wet spring delayed the vegetative cycle, and this\u003cbr\u003e\nwas the case right up to the vintage. Summer began cool and practically\u003cbr\u003e\nwithout rain, but between August and October temperatures were always\u003cbr\u003e\nabove average and with very little rain. These conditions were, however, a\u003cbr\u003e\nbeneficial counterpoint to the low temperatures and abundant rainfall\u003cbr\u003e\nrecorded during most of the winter and throughout the spring. The vintage\u003cbr\u003e\nstarted mid-September and the grapes showed complete and balanced\u003cbr\u003e\nmaturations. We produced very elegant wines, aromatic, well-structured\u003cbr\u003e\nand balanced.\u003cbr\u003e\nWINEMAKING\u003cbr\u003e\nThe hand-picked grapes are placed in small, shallow boxes and taken to the\u003cbr\u003e\non-site winery. Manual sorting is followed by destemming and gentle\u003cbr\u003e\ncrushing after which grapes are transferred to the fermentation vats.\u003cbr\u003e\nFermentations are individually monitored, and the temperature and macer-\u003cbr\u003e\nations are adjusted to maximise the potential of each fermenting batch. The\u003cbr\u003e\ngrapes sourced from the property’s finest vineyard parcels are vinified in\u003cbr\u003e\nsmaller capacity fermentation vats, worked manually with cap submersion\u003cbr\u003e\nand post fermentation maceration to encourage the extraction of some\u003cbr\u003e\ntannin from the pips to complement those extracted from the grape skins.\u003cbr\u003e\nThis adds structure and longevity to the wines.\u003cbr\u003e\nWINEMAKERS\u003cbr\u003e\nCharles Symington, Pedro Correia and\u003cbr\u003e\nJosé Daniel Soares (resident winemaker)\u003cbr\u003e\nGRAPE VARIETIES\u003cbr\u003e\n55% Syrah\u003cbr\u003e\n45% Alicante Bouschet\u003cbr\u003e\nAGING\u003cbr\u003e\n70% of the blend aged 12 months in new\u003cbr\u003e\nFrench oak barrels and 30% in second\u003cbr\u003e\nyear barrels (both 400L barrels).\u003cbr\u003e\nWINE SPECIFICATION\u003cbr\u003e\nAlcohol: 14.5% vol\u003cbr\u003e\nTotal acidity: 5.2 g\/l tartaric acid\u003cbr\u003e\n100 9L cases imported\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSuitable for Vegans.\u003cbr\u003e\nTASTING NOTE\u003cbr\u003e\nAromas of woodland are enhanced by\u003cbr\u003e\npine and resin notes that confer great\u003cbr\u003e\nfreshness and evoke the extensive forested\u003cbr\u003e\narea of Fonte Souto. Also, a lot of spice\u003cbr\u003e\nmade of white pepper and clove, as well as\u003cbr\u003e\nblack cherry and floral notes of roses.\u003cbr\u003e\nDense and powerful in the mouth with\u003cbr\u003e\nnotes of spice, tea, and tobacco. The\u003cbr\u003e\nimpressive structure, sculpted tannins\u003cbr\u003e\nand refined acidity, foresee an excellent\u003cbr\u003e\ndevelopment in bottle. A little reserved,\u003cbr\u003e\nneeding some time to reveal all its\u003cbr\u003e\ngreatness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSCORES\u003cbr\u003e\n94 Points, Wine Enthusiast, 2022\u003cbr\u003e\n94 Points, James Suckling, 2023\u003cbr\u003e\n93 Points, Wine \u0026amp; Spirits, 2022\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quinta da Fonte Souto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47538759860448,"sku":"129617","price":75.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/files\/quinta-da-fonte-souto-vinha-do-souto_1.jpg?v=1750972468","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/quinta-da-fonte-souto-vinha-do-souto-2018-750ml","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}