Soito, Dão, Estate Red 2018

Established in 2013, Soito Wines is one of Dão’s youngest and most promising winemaker projects. Driven by their passion for Dão wines, two former teachers, José Carlos and Sandra Soares, embarked on a mission to produce distinctive, characterful wines, which mirrored their passion for wine and captured the essence of the Dão terroir. The family estate of Quinta do Soito, is located in the Beira Alta, in northern central Portugal and has a history of winemaking which dates back over 100 years. Giving it a new lease of life, Jose and Sandra focus on sustainable cultivation, following an ethos of social and environmental responsibility. Quinta do Soito is gaining traction as one of the region’s leading producers, where native Dão grape varieties are skilfully translated into award-winning wines in their state-of-the-art modern winery.

The Dão region is located in Beira, central northern Portugal, flanked by the mountain chains of Caramulo, Montemuro, Buçaco and Estrela, which offer protection from the prevailing winds. Within this basin configuration, there is a wide range of micro-climates strongly influenced by relatively steep valleys carved out by the Mondego, Alva and Dão Rivers and their numerous tributaries. The vineyards range from 200 to 700 metres above sea level. The warmest, driest plots lie within a triangular plateau between the towns of Viseu, Mangualde and Nelas, in which the late-ripening Touriga Nacional flourishes. The wide diurnal temperature shifts of up to 20°C, ensure the fruit is endowed with ample natural acidity. The soils are granite dominated sands, with particles of feldspar, quartz and mica which sparkle in the vineyards. They are lean, free-draining and relatively infertile soils, which force the vines to struggle, resulting in complex wines. The vines are cultivated sustainably and are pruned according to double cordon, simple cordon or Guyot, with the method tailored to control the vigour to ensure the best quality. The grapes are manually harvested.

A blend of four native varietals, each was vinified separately. The grapes were 100% destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts at 28°C for eight days, with racking and four daily pump-overs. Following fermentation, the wine was pneumatically pressed and underwent malolactic conversion. 50% was matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve the varietal characteristics and 50% was matured in 225 litre French oak barrels of first and second use