Quinta da Fonte Souto Red 2019, Alentejo DOC, Portalegre, Portugal

Quinta da Fonte Souto Red is the estate red from the Symington family’s high-altitude vineyard on the slopes of the Serra de São Mamede in Portalegre, the coolest corner of the Alentejo. At around 500 metres, on granite and schist soils, the grapes ripen slowly and keep fresh acidity. The blend is built around Alicante Bouschet and Syrah, with Portuguese varieties such as Alfrocheiro or Touriga Nacional depending on the year. The grapes are hand-picked and sorted, each fermentation is managed individually, and the wine is aged in 400-litre French oak barrels and vats.

Quinta da Fonte Souto Red has a distinctive mountain character. The nose shows pine forest, mint, wild berries, cassis and black plum. The palate is concentrated and taut, with blackberry, subtle liquorice and hints of chestnut, fine-grained tannins and a long finish with notes of black tea and tobacco.

Pair it with roast lamb, slow-cooked pork, game or richly spiced stews. Decant for an hour if you can and serve at 16–18°C. It is ready to drink now and has the structure to age well for 8–10 years.

Quinta da Fonte Souto is the Alentejo estate of the Symington family, best known for their Douro Port houses. Bought in 2017, it was the family’s first vineyard outside the Douro. The 207-hectare property sits in the Portalegre sub-region on the slopes of the Serra de São Mamede, at around 500 metres, one of the highest vineyard sites in Portugal south of the Tagus. Granite and schist soils and a meeting of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences make it much cooler and wetter than the Alentejo plains, so the wines have freshness and finesse. The estate has a collection of mature, low-yielding vines, and the family is replanting part of the land with native trees. Florão is its younger, fruit-driven label.