Primeiras Vinhas Alvarinho

Quinta de Soalheiro is a leading wine estate nestled in Portugal’s verdant north, whose story and output is inseparable from the climb to international renown of the Alvarinho variety and the wines from Vinho Verde’s Monção e Melgaço subregion. Soalheiro was founded in 1974 when João António Cerdeira and his parents, António Esteves Ferreira and Maria Cerdeira took the bold decision to plant a single, sun-soaked parcel of farmland entirely to Alvarinho. At the time, this decision was in stark contrast to the traditional practice of Portuguese farmers, which relegated grape vines to grow up pergolas planted at the periphery of dense cereal crops like maize. It was in this spirit of innovation and progress that one of western Iberia’s great wine producers was born. Today, third-generation siblings Maria João and António Luís, along with their mother Maria Palmira Cerdeira, continue to test limits and break new ground in pursuit of the finest expressions of their territory by way of the noble Alvarinho grape. As the name of the wine indicates, Primeiras Vinhas (“First Vineyards”) sources its production from the inaugural 1974 planting. This wine boasts an elegant structure and complexity, using old vines to create a new expression of the region’s winemaking potential.

Primeiras Vinhas is located next to the winery, in the the village of Alvaredo, 2.5 mi west of Melgaço and 11 mi east of Monção. The microclimate is very particular; the Melgaço region, the northern point of Portugal, is protected by a range of mountains that create the perfect conditions of rainfall, temperature and sunshine hours needed for ripening the Alvarinho grapes. The name "Soalheiro" arises from the excellent sun exposure of the vineyards, bearing the same name, “a sunny place.”

Organic grapes are harvested in small boxes from 40+-year-old estate vines, the first vines, or “Primeiras Vinhas.” After pressing, the must is decanted for 48 hours. The wine is fermented mostly in stainless steel at a very low temperature, with 15% fermented in old oak barrels for added richness. Fine sediments are kept for a few months. The philosophy is to have more lees contact through bâtonnage. This gives structure to the wine and a different character from most Vinhos Verdes. Aged 6 months before bottling.

Citrus color, elegant and full flavor that grows in the glass, becoming increasingly persistent. The flavor is full-bodied, fresh and complex with great final complexity.