2005
Irregular and Unique
2005 was one of the driest years ever in the Douro. At the end of August, the effort of the vines under such extreme conditions was visually impressive and their physiological activity very irregular. We were obviously worried. But suddenly, good news literally fell from the sky: in the second week of September, it rained. And something that in any other year would never be desirable was a true blessing in this one. The few drops were enough to refresh the vine canopy and reactivate ripening. Two weeks later, the result was spectacular! The first fermentations immediately showed the level of quality that lay ahead – intense fruit aromas, concentration… The patience and careful monitoring of the vines at the most precious moments had been rewarded – this difficult year had produced some of the best wines born in the vineyards of the Alves de Sousa family.
BERÇO
WHITE Douro D.O.C
It was in the highlands of Medrões, at Quinta da Aveleira, that the Alves de Sousa family was born to wine 5 generations ago. Far from the river. Far from the heat. In the shadow of the Serra do Marão. It was on these slopes that, in the early 1990s, a new perspective on white grape varieties began. Far from the excesses sought for fortified wines, they gradually began to experiment. Planting, uprooting and planting again. Little by little, sketching out the outlines of the dreamed-of whites. And discovering new facets of a rich and diverse region – a delicate and elegant Douro, from the highest and coolest lands, with meticulously combined and worked grape varieties, full of minerality and complexity. It was in the cradle of the family that we found the cradle of a new white.
17,5 / 20
Revista de Vinhos
18 / 20
Grandes
Escolhas
17,5 / 20
Jancis
Robinson