Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, Alentejo DOC 2022

Crisp, zesty, delicious white wine experience to compete with lightly-oaked chardonnay

Jul 01, 2025

Wine time humor

Sadly, the cross-eyed teacher was fired because he could not control his pupils. Wine time.

Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, Alentejo DOC 2022

Pale gold color; white peach, grapefruit, white plum, Meyer lemon, mango, pineapple, honeysuckle, jasmine, minerality on the nose and palate.

Dry; zippy acidity (3.22 pH; 6.0 g/L TA); creamy texture. Balanced. Medium body. Fresh with power and intensity. No tannins. Intriguing and enjoyable minerality and tang on the finish. Delicious quaff. Blend of 75% arinto, 25% verdelho. The acidity and quality of the arinto grapes makes this a wine that is delicious now but has aging potential of up to seven years. The verdelho grapes contribute aromatic complexity and tropical fruit notes. 13.5% ABV

Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto vineyard

Grapes come from Symington’s 667-acre Quinta da Fonte Souto vineyard acquired in 2017. The name comes from the chestnut groves (soutos) on the estate. The vineyard lies on the slopes of the Sāo Mamede Range at an altitude of 1,600 feet in the Alentejo sub-region of Portalegre. The nearby São Mamede National Park that rises to 3,400 feet, the highest mountain range in southern Portugal. 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.

Symington family–Johnny, Rupert, Charles, Paul, Dominic

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.”

Grapes are hand-picked into small, shallow boxes and taken to the on-site winery. Grapes are hand-sorted, followed by destemming and gentle crushing, then lightly pneumatically pressed. Fermentation begins in stainless steel vats, immediately after alcoholic fermentation begins, 60% of the must is transferred to 132-gallon French oak barrels. The must is left in contact with the lees with frequent bâtonnage (stirring). The final blend ages seven months in a combination of new French and central European oak (55%), in second and third-year oak (40%), and stainless steel vats (5%).

Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto vineyard

Symington Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, Alentejo DOC 2022 delivers a crisp, zesty, delicious white wine experience to compete with lightly-oaked chardonnay. Silky smooth, texturally rich, very approachable. Substantial wine. Excellent now, but able to age a decade. Another demonstration of the Symington’s mastery of Portuguese wines. $27

Pairing—grilled fish, grilled sea bass; cod fritters (pastéis de bacalhau); shellfish, oysters, clams, mussels, crab, shrimp; clams Bulhāo Pato style cooked in white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic; seared prawns with chili and lime; fish tacos with cilantro; Portuguese seafood stew; sushi and sashimi. Chicken in cream sauces; turkey, duck. Pork dishes. Portuguese tapas (petiscos). Asian dishes—Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian cuisine. Cheese—Portuguese regional, queijo de nisa, serra da estrela; goat cheeses, chèvre; brie, camembert; fresh ricotta, other light cheeses.

Symington’s Quinta da Fonte Souto website