Quinta Soalheiro Alvarinho 70cl
One of the top properties producing Vinho Verde, Soalheiro is based in Melgaço, and specializes in the Alvarinho grape variety. They own 6 hectares, and the largest vineyard is just one hectare. The winery is run by Luís Cerdeira, son of the founder, and his brother João and sister Maria, who doubles as a vet. The grapes are harvested manually and carried immediately to the cellar in small boxes to retain absolute freshness. The aim of the vinification process is to obtain a wine that captures the quality of the grapes and creates conditions that promote evolution in the bottle.
Soalheiro Alvarinho 2019: perfect, intense, elegant and with volume. A Classic in the Soalheiro. Aromatic freshness of Alvarinho variety, flavour intensity and unusual bottle longevity.
The resulting wine is a displays a clear and bright golden citrus colour with aromas of classic Alvarinho Soalheiro - intense and tropical fruit, think; lychees, passionfruit, peaches and apricot balanced with mineral notes.
Ideal as an aperitif or to accompany seafood dishes, fish or poultry dishes.
Quinta da Soalheiro were awarded among the best wine producers in the world by Wine & Spirits Magazine - "2017 top 100 Wineries” and "Top 100 Tasting & Road Show Invitation.”
"The 2017 Alvarinho is dry and comes in at 12.5% alcohol. Colloquially known as the "classico," the flagship unoaked Alvarinho, this is typically one of the finest values in Vinho Verde. It ages effortlessly. It's concentrated and structured. Sourced from 25-year-old vines, this shows off that bit of "Soalheiro Green," as I like to call it, then adds a big finish and a concentrated mid-palate to accompany the herbs. Ripe, fruity and surprisingly accessible this year, this shows very well from the get-go.
92 points"
(Mark Squiries, The Wine Advocate #237, June 2018 - commentating on the 2018 vintage)