2024 Quinta do Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit

Full bottle 1,150 g. The grapes are from a specific selection of small vineyards planted in granitic soil at around 400 m in Monção and Melgaço on less fertile soils than those nearer the river. Harvested by hand. After pressing, and before fermentation, the must is clarified. Fermentation in stainless-steel vats at a higher temperature than is usual for white wine (22 °C). ‘This ensures that Alvarinho’s naturally fruity character does not outshine the delicate minerality that we look for in this wine’, notes the winemaker. Batonnage and ageing on the fine lees. TA 6.5 g/l, pH 3.16.
Very, very pale. Piercing lime and herbal freshness – smells very young, which it is. For a wine that is intended to be more ‘mineral’ than fruity, this still has a lot of fruit, mostly pear and citrus, though there is also an impression of stoniness. It’s on the palate that the stony/mineral character is more obvious, yet still no lack of fruit. Acidity is high and the texture is nicely creamy from the lees, helping to balance the acidity. This is a little more intense than the 2023, more embryonic but with greater potential. Extremely pure and tense, and I am sure it will be even better after at least another year in the bottle. Delicious extremity. The producer suggests matching this to seafood, grilled fish, or oven-baked fatty fish, white and smoked meats, mature cheeses, or delicate Asian dishes such as sushi or dumplings. 17 points