Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco DOC Alentejo

Description

Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco | A Premium Alentejo White Wine

Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco is an exceptional, barrel-fermented Portuguese white wine crafted by the legendary Symington Family Estates, representing their historic first property outside of the Douro Valley.

This Alentejo white wine is made of Arinto, widely recognised as one of the best white grapes, and Verdelho. This is a wine of elegance, minerality and freshness provided by altitude and structure and complexity from mature, low-yielding vines.

Order Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco online from Fareham Wine Cellar for UK delivery, or visit our physical shop to explore our full selection of fine Portuguese wines.

Quinta da Fonte Souto White Winemaking

Led by head winemakers Charles Symington, Pedro Correia, and Ricardo Constantino, winemaking combines traditional small-batch care with modern technical precision.

• Grape Blend: 65% Arinto and 35% Verdelho sourced from mature, low-yielding vines.
• Harvest & Arrival: Hand-picked grapes are collected in small, shallow boxes and delivered directly to the on-site winery.
• Grape Processing: Manually sorted, destemmed, gently crushed, and lightly pressed using a pneumatic press.
• Fermentation: Begins in stainless steel vats before a portion of the must is transferred into 500-litre French oak barrels (a larger format chosen to prevent oak over-extraction and preserve fresh aromatics).
• Lees Contact & Bâtonnage: Left on the lees with frequent bâtonnage (lees stirring) to build rich texture and complexity that balances the naturally high acidity from the elevated São Mamede slopes.
• Maturation & Ageing: The final blend is aged for 9 months across three vessel types:
  • 40% in new French and Central European oak
  • 45% in second- and third-fill oak barrels
  • 15% in stainless steel vats
• Dietary: Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
• Limited Production: Boutique production of approximately 660 cases per vintage.

The Estate & High-Altitude Terroir

Quinta da Fonte Souto is The Symington Family’s first property outside of the Douro region. The Symingtons are best known as Port and Douro wine producers and own Graham’s, Dow’s and Warre’s Port Houses, amongst others.

The 207 hectare Quinta da Fonte Souto estate is situated along the slopes of the São Mamede range near Portalegre. It is located at an altitude of over 500 metres above sea level. The higher-than-average altitude with its cooler microclimate is quite a contrast to the Alentejo region’s typically hot and dry conditions.

There are 43 hectares of vineyards planted on schist and granite soils, which are much less fertile than those found in the flat and rolling terrain which characterises the majority of the Alentejo. Grape varieties planted are typical of the region and are mainly Aragones, Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Why Is It Called Quinta da Fonte Souto?

It is named “souto”, the Portuguese name for a wooded area planted with chestnut trees – there is a large chestnut grove at the estate. 2017 is the first vintage.