2022 Quinta de Soalheiro Terramatter Blanco

The Alvarinho Terramatter is Soalheiro's new organically certified and unfiltered Alvarinho, sourced from 25-year-old vineyards. It is partially (15%) fermented in chestnut barrels. Teramatter means "Mother Earth." Luis said: "With this Vin Naturale wine we go back to the real, unfiltered wines with natural cloudiness, which gives Alvarinho a different taste from the other Soalheiros. Despite the low sulfur (less than 20 milligrams per liter free) we try to preserve the fruit and the potential for evolution in the bottle because it protects sediments (yeast) from oxidation and helps maintain freshness. With this Soalheiro dimension, unfiltered (with sediment at the bottom of the bottle) we try new aromas and new flavors .

The Terramatter grapes are harvested slightly earlier than the other top cuvées from this domain. The malolactic fermentation takes place partly in chestnut wooden barrels (the traditional barrels from the Minho). These give off more subtle aromas than normal oak. Characteristic of this wine are the expressive aromas of herbs and lime thanks to the earlier harvest. A lively, complex wine with a fresh, long aftertaste.

Quinta de Soalheiro is located in the northernmost point of Portugal, in the sub-region of the Vinho Verde area, called Monção e Melgaço. Protected by a mountain range to the north, the vineyards are ideally situated for growing the albarino (alvarinho) grape, with just enough of everything: sun, warmth and precipitation. It was precisely these unique circumstances that made João Antonio Cerdeira plant his first alvarinho vineyard here in 1974. João has now been succeeded by his children Luis and Maria, who have further expanded and perfected the company. Everything here is done with a great sense of detail. The vineyards are farmed organically and the winemaking process has only one goal: making pure and harmonious wines. Soalheiro enjoys a great reputation both in Portugal and abroad.