Raymond Reynolds Ltd

Overview

Location: Melgaço, Minho
Website address: http://www.soalheiro.com/

Nestled between the Peneda mountains and the Minho river João and his son Luís Cerdeira nurture 14 hectares of prime Alvarinho vineyards. The dark granite soils and the north facing aspects allow warm sunshine to slowly ripen the grapes giving both attractive clean aromatics with classic freshness and minerality. This Alvarinho is stunningly complex and balanced. This is unoaked and very pure in expression.

Luis has collaborated with Dirk Niepoort to produce an extraordinary “Primeiras Vinhas†from his oldest vines.

Wine List

For older vintage information please contact us or consult the producer’s website

Alvarinho Soalheiro

Current Vintage: 2011

Antonio and Luis Cerdeira continue apace as the non plus ultra producers of this variety in Portugal. Nervy, pithy notes, but still with a strong mineral undercurrent to the stone fruit mid palate.

"... and the wines were a revelation, especially a peachy 2008 Soalheiro Alvarinho from the Minho, which knocked spots of any Albarino I have tried in the last few years." Bill Knott, Financial Times "How to Spend It" Magazine, November 2011

Link

Primeiras Vinhas

Current Vintage: 2010

The oldest Alvarinho vines at Soalheiro, just 10% barrel fermented, go to make one of Portugal’s very best white wines, and certainly one of the most wonderful expressions of this variety. If you thought that Alvarinho was foremost about primary fruit character, this comes as a bit of a shock. Seriously structured, with mineral notes quite equal to the pure stone fruit elements, this is brilliant stuff!

The 2010 was named by Julia Harding as one of her Top 50 wines in Portugal. The third time it garnered this accolade.