Quinta da Fonte Souto Alicante Bouschet 2018
Tasting notes
Broad aromatic expression, evocative of woodland, blackberry and blueberry, black cherries and hints of liquorice. Prodigious mouthfeel, with fascinating complexity reflected in multiple layers that range from dark chocolate, mushroom/truffle, and a toasty element with good barrel integration. Fine-grained tannins combine with good acidity (subliminal, but present) to give excellent definition to the formidable structure. A fabulous, epicurean wine to pair with rich, savoury dishes. A wine which will develop beautifully in bottle over the coming years.
The hand-picked grapes are placed in small, shallow boxes and taken to the on-site winery. Manual sorting is followed by destemming and gentle crushing after which grapes are transferred to the fermentation vats. Fermentations are individually monitored, and the temperature and macerations are adjusted to maximise the potential of each fermenting batch. A period of post fermentation maceration follows to encourage the extraction of some tannin from the pips to complement those extracted from the grape skins. This adds structure and longevity to the wines.
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Varietal | Alicante Bouschet |
| Appellation | Alentejo |
| Designation | DOC |
| Sugar | 0.7 g/L |
| Acid | 5.8 g/L |
| PH | 3.6 |
| Aging | 80% of the blend was aged 14 months in second year 400 l French oak barrels. |
| Alcohol | 14.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | PORTUGAL |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
