Alves De Sousa Branco

Description

Alves de Sousa – in the family's cradle we discover the birthplace of a new white: a very special and limited edition, released only in the best vintages. A delicate and elegant Douro from the high, cool terroir, where carefully paired and worked grapes yield wines of great minerality, complexity, and precision. It was on the high slopes of Medrões, at Quinta da Aveleira, that the Alves de Sousa family was born into wine, five generations ago. Far from the river and the intense Douro heat, under the shadow of Serra do Marão, this cooler, higher terrain forged a deep connection to the vine and the wine. In the early 1990s, on these same slopes, a new vision for white grapes began to take shape. Far from the excesses of generous wines, a path of experimentation unfolded: planting, pulling up, and replanting. Thus the first sketches of the dreamed whites emerged, revealing new facets of a rich and diverse region. **Harvest 2023** The 2023 vintage was marked by a warm, rainy winter that demanded heightened phytosanitary vigilance, followed by an equally warm and particularly dry spring. The budding was more generous in cluster count than in recent years. Early summer was relatively mild, with some rainfall, allowing balanced ripening. From 20 August a heatwave suddenly accelerated maturation, causing slight berry dehydration and prompting the immediate start of harvest. Despite the need to monitor vine health after the mid‑September rains, the results prove highly promising, with wines that showcase very elegant fruit, intensity, and depth. Harvest dates: 25 August 2023 – Viosinho; 23 September 2023 – Avesso and Arinto. Vine age: over 20 years. **Vinification** 40 % Arinto, 30 % Avesso, 30 % Viosinho. Total destemming. Gentle pressing followed by static decantation. Fermentation at 16 °C for 12 days. **Maturation** 12 months in 225 L barrels: 50 % second‑age, 30 % third‑age, 20 % new barrels. 85 % French oak (convection‑toasted), 15 % Portuguese oak (untoasted). **Analytical characteristics** Total acidity 6.10 g/L (tartaric acid), pH 3.30, total SO₂ 100 mg/L, total sugars 2.0 g/L. Open 30 minutes before serving. **Prizes** 18.5 / 20 – Paixão pelo Vinho 18 / 20 – Revista Grandes Escolhas ‘Best of the Region’ Award – Revista de Vinhos ‘Tranquil White of the Year – Calendar Wines’ nomination – Prémios W (Aníbal Coutinho, 2020) 93 / 100 – Jornal Público SKU: 107932