Quinta de Azevedo, Vinho Verde Loureiro/Alvarinho
Vintage: 2024
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | QZ103B24 | 6 x 75 | Screwcap | Available |
Producer
Quinta de Azevedo is a historic Minho estate, with 34 hectares of vineyards planted with indigenous varieties that produce elegant white wines with a sense of place. Located in the north of the country, near the Cávado River, the Quinta can trace its origins back to the foundation of Portugal in the 12th Century. It was acquired by the Guedes family in 1982, who have renovated the property to preserve its original charm while also embracing a modern approach to viticulture and winemaking.
In the vineyards, they have moved away from traditional pergola systems and planted cordon-trained vines. This allows more air circulation in the vine canopy and sun exposure, resulting in riper and healthier grapes at harvest. Diogo Sepúlveda is at the winemaking helm and makes wines with signature freshness and precision. The grapes are harvested at night, and fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to retain the varieties’ natural freshness and aromatics. Loureiro lends aromas of tropical and citrus fruit with a mineral note to the wines, while Alvarinho brings stone fruit aromas, structure and complexity.
With the 2022 and 2023 vintage, Quinta de Azevedo began producing fine wines from estate-grown fruit. Until this point, the Quinta had worked extensively with local growers, while steadily increasing holdings to be able to have full control over fruit quality. This transition further shows the Guedes’ ongoing dedication to making the finest Minho and Vinho Verde wines. These ‘Escolha’ and ‘Grande Escolha’ wines, meaning ‘Selection’ and ‘Grand Selection’, are partially aged in predominantly large format, used French oak to add texture rather than to mask the delicate flavours of the grapes.
The Quinta de Azevedo Alvarinho Escolha and Loureiro Escolha are fermented in stainless steel, with 15% aged in used French oak barrels for six months. This results in vibrant freshness and varietal character, coupled with a creamy texture. The Alvarinho is characterised by vibrant aromas of yellow peach and apricot, while the Loureiro has bright notes of passion fruit, mango, grapefruit, and lemon peel.
`Torre` Grande Escolha is a fine, Alvarinho-dominated blend produced from the estate’s best Alvarinho and Loureiro grapes. After fermentation in stainless steel, 80% of the blend is aged in large format, French oak casks (the majority used) for eight months. The result is a concentrated and intensely aromatic wine with flavours of ripe stone and citrus fruit and a long finish.
Azevedo
The Azevedo Loureiro/Alvarinho holds the Vinho Verde DOC classification and sources its grapes from the estate and other regional growers. It is crisp and refreshing, with notes of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, lime blossom and fresh mango.
Vineyards
The Loureiro and Alvarinho grapes were sourced from both the transitional schist soils of the Quinta de Azevedo vineyards, and more regionally typical granite soils of trusted contracted growers. Leaving behind the traditional high-trained pergolas of the Vinho Verde region, the Azevedo vineyards were devised using a modern cordon-trained system. This ensures better exposure of the grapes and aeration of the vine canopy, which prevents disease and results in riper and healthier fruit at harvest. The vineyards are farmed following sustainable practices, with cover crops planted between the vines rows to help to improve soil health, absorb excess rainwater and encourage biodiversity in the vineyard.
Vintage
Diogo Sepúlveda pronounced 2024 in Vinho Verde to be a “great, highly promising year”, producing concentrated wines with “excellent balance between freshness and elegance”. The vines benefitted from increased rainfall (2,100mm Vs past 10-year average of 1,755mm) and a warm spring, enabling them to create good leaf walls that promoted longer ripening. A cool May resulted in delayed flowering and some coulure, followed by mild, wet conditions that necessitated vigilant work in the vineyards – including use of the new leaf remover – to prevent and reduce the effects of downy mildew. Warm, balanced summer temperatures facilitated an even ripening of the grapes. The harvest was dry and began on 28th August with the Alvarinho, finishing on 20th September just before heavy rainfall arrived.
Vinification
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently destemmed and cooled. This was followed by gentle pressing at low temperatures to preserve the aromatics and ensure maximum freshness. The must was transferred to stainless steel vats for fermentation at controlled temperatures of 14-15ºC. A portion of the fruit underwent a pre-fermentation maceration for up to two days at low temperatures to extract the maximum aromatics before pressing. The wine was aged on its lees for three months in stainless steel tanks with regular lees stirring prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This wine is clear and bright with youthful hues. The nose is vibrant and intense with notes of citrus, bright nectarine, lime blossom, and fresh mango. On the palate the wine is crisp with well integrated acidity and firmness. Rich tropical fruit flavours lead to a long and lingering finish.
Alcohol (ABV)
12%
Acidity
6 g/l
Residual Sugar
2 g/l
pH
3.1