Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao White Review

Inviting, refreshing and lip-smacking, we review the 2024 Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao Branco (White) from Symington Family Estates.

A white blend of 80% Arinto and 20% Verdelho from 1,640 feet of elevation at the Fonte Souto estate in Portalegre, Alentejo, Portugal. The wine is aged 6 months in stainless steel and is vegan friendly.

Sample submitted for review. The wine has an SRP of $23 but can be found for as low as $17-$18. It is imported by Premium Port Wines Inc.

From the winery:

Quinta da Fonte Souto, nestled at a breezy 1,640 feet within the São Mamede National Park, boasts a unique microclimate that gifts its wines with liveliness and elegance. The Florão range of wines embodies this signature, offering an approachable style without compromising the meticulous care and quality that define the Fonte Souto estate.

The vineyard represents Symington Family Estates’ first property outside Portugal’s famed Douro region, located in Portalegre, an Alentejo sub-region renowned for wines of superior concentration and minerality. The 511-acre Fonte Souto property, known for its striking chestnut grove, or “souto,” includes 106 acres of mature vineyards.

Florão White 2024: Bursting with floral notes of orange blossom and honeysuckle alongside zesty citrus, this Arinto and Verdelho blend is the epitome of summer. Aged in stainless steel to preserve its aromatic purity, it delivers an elegant palate with lively acidity and a medley of fruit flavors. The 2024 emphasizes crispness and brightness. It’s the perfect companion for picnics and sunny gatherings, bringing pure sunshine to your glass.

We began picking at Quinta da Fonte Souto on August 7, the earliest harvest at the property in the last 20 years. We had an early growth cycle brought about by a wet winter and unseasonably warm spring, with maturations progressing at a good pace (even and gradual) and resulting in very balanced ripening. The last grapes came into the winery on October 13, meaning we had an unprecedented two-month long harvest at the estate. In September, we had twice the average monthly rainfall and took the bold decision to pause picking several times to allow the vines to benefit from the rain and to wait for drier, warmer weather to return. This paid off and we had fantastic conditions for ripening in the final stages of the harvest. The moderate conditions this year have given rise to fresh, aromatic, well-structured and balanced wines.

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The hand-picked grapes are placed in small, shallow boxes and taken to the on-site winery. Manual sorting is followed by destemming and gentle crushing after which the grapes are transferred to a pneumatic press for a light pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at low temperatures in order to conserve the wine’s aromatic expression. The start of malolactic fermentation is prevented, thus ensuring the wine’s crisp, fresh character.

WINEMAKER: Charles Symington, Pedro Correia and Ricardo Constantino.
PROVENANCE: Quinta da Fonte Souto, Portalegre
BLEND: 80% Arinto, 20% Verdelho
MATURATION METHOD: 6 months in stainless steel vats with minimal contact with oxygen in order to preserve the wine’s aromatic freshness.
Year of Bottling: 2024
Acidity: 6.3 g/l (tartaric acid)
Volatile Acidity: 0.28 g/l (acetic acid)
pH: 3.32
Vegan: Yes

13.5% Alcohol

The 2024 Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao White begins with a fresh, inviting aroma of tropical fruit, honeysuckle, lime and some other citrus notes. It’s a very good start.

The medium-bodied wine tastes pretty much as it smells which is a good thing, with tart fruit leading the way. Refreshing with a smooth but lively texture and good acidity, it might be lacking a bit of complexity but it’s certainly not lacking in easy to drink character.

It ends long and dry on the lip-smacking finish.

You can also find more of our favorite wines from Portugal here and our favorite vegan wines here.

Review Summary

Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao White Review • Reverse Wine Snob

Inviting, refreshing and lip-smacking, we review the 2024 Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao Branco (White) from Symington Family Estates.

Editor's Rating:
7.3

Pros

• 89-90 points
• Refreshing, easy to drink character
• Vegan friendly

Cons

• Not very complex
• Can be hard to find