Light, lemon-yellow color and characterized by its fresh and elegant scent, which shows the beautiful, aromatic complexity of the Alvarinho grape. The taste follows up with intense tropical and mineral notes that are perfectly balanced with the wine’s acidity and moderate alcohol content.
94 POINTS
Decanter World Wines Awards 2023
GOLD
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2023
GOLD
Mundus WINES 2023
GOLD
SAKURA – Japan Women’s Wine Awards 2023
Soalheiro Alvarinho is nicknamed ‘Clássico’ as it was the first wine ever made by the family back in 1982. Since then it has remained the house’s most classic single varietal Alvarinho with a glorious aromatic freshness and intense flavour. A wine we drink for many, many occasions.
About Soalheiro
Quinta de Soalheiro is located in Melgaco in northern Portugal, right up to the border with Spain, protected from wind and weather by the mountains in the area. Here, Soalheiro was the first producer to use the special Portuguese white wine grape, Alvarinho. The mountainous region ensures an optimal combination of life-giving rain and the right temperatures, while the grapes get plenty of sunlight. Therefore, the grapes thrive and deliver lively and elegant wines, which have become the hallmark of the region and of the winery itself. It was here in the area that João António Cerdeira planted the first Alvarinho vines in 1974. Today, Quinta de Soalheiro is a family-run winery, which produces fantastic wines under current manager Maria Palmira Cerdeira and her children, Maria João Cerdeira and António LuÃs Cerdeira, the house Winemaker. The name ‘Soalheiro’ very aptly means “a sunny place” and is a reference to the Portuguese climate that the winery’s vines benefit from. The protection of the mountains and a granite-containing soil ensure optimal conditions. The grapes are harvested in small boxes to avoid damage, and brought quickly to the winery. Here they lie cool for 48 hours before being pressed. The Alvarinho grape is actually an older type of grape that has shown its worth over many years. Here it is the basis for many wines throughout the Vinho Verde region. The grape has a very characteristic floral and fruity profile with notes of linden, peach, grape and apple and is perfect in a classic, fresh Vinho Verde. In fact, the grape’s qualities are so sought after that it is also exported to more southern climes in Portugal, where they are combined with local grapes.
