Quinta da Fonte Souto is the family’s first property outside the Douro region, situated in the Portalegre subregion of Alto Alentejo in southern Portugal. Nestled close to the São Mamede range, which reaches 1,025 meters, the property benefits from a cooler microclimate due to its altitude, sharply contrasting with the typically hot and dry conditions of the Alentejo region. The schist and granite soils, less fertile than those in the flatter, rolling terrain of the majority of Alentejo, result in low yields.

Covering 207 hectares, Quinta da Fonte Souto has 43 hectares planted with vines. The principal grape varieties include Aragonês, Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate also boasts a substantial chestnut grove, from which its name is derived — ‘souto’ refers to a wooded area planted with chestnut trees. Additionally, the property features a large forested area of 100 hectares, a third of which is covered with cork oaks, a characteristic feature of the Alentejo landscape.

The family took over the property in 2017, marking the first vintage under their stewardship. The grapes were vinified on-site in the estate’s well-equipped winery. The debut vintage was notably successful, producing some excellent white and red wines. The hot and dry conditions of the first year underscored the benefits of the vineyard’s altitude, which ranges from 490 to 550 meters. The first wines were released in 2019, showcasing the exceptional quality of this new venture.

The Fonte Souto Estate white wine embodies all the strengths of the property’s
unique terroir: the freshness and balance afforded by the altitude; the concentration,
which derives from mature, low-yielding vines, and the complexity and structure
provided by the barrel fermentation sur-lie (on the lees) with bâtonnage. This white
allows for maximum expression of the Arinto, widely regarded as Portugal’s finest
white grape variety and has a smaller Verdelho component.