HARVEST REPORT 2024 | A balanced cycle, a harvest that exceeded all expectations

This is a sentence that is always remembered during the Harvest and which, this year, had a special meaning for us, because we have celebrated 50 years since we planted of our first vineyard

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2024

Relatorio-de-Vindimas-2023

SOALHEIRO’S EARLIEST EVER ALVARINHO HARVEST

This year we started harvesting Alvarinho on the 23rd of August – in over 40 years, this is the earliest we have ever started harvesting the grape variety we focused on. Each year has specific characteristics and we had to adapt: if the year advances the vineyard, we advance the harvest.

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2023

Soalheiro’s 40th anniversary

Harvest is always a time to celebrate, it’s the time to reap the fruit of a whole year’s work. For us, this year was even more special because it’s our 40th anniversary.

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2022

The usual certainty in a year of uncertainty 

This year the uncertainty in the vineyard was a constant, allowing in the end to reinforce a greater certainty: even in a year full of difficulties, our viticulture team and the more than 150 families of winegrowers who work with Soalheiro managed, once again, to produce grapes of unique quality resulting from the knowledge of generations that, together with the inimitable natural conditions, give rise to this unique territory and special wines made by so many hands.

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2021

The 2020 harvest in Soalheiro

A perfect harvest, with the conviction that in Soalheiro the year 2020 will be forever associated with resilience, team spirit, consistency and also with a special optimism based on the extraordinary quality of the grapes with which the vineyards of our Pur Terroir have presented us. 

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2020

2019

The 2019 Vintage is a classic vintage. The cycle of vegetative growth occurred earlier than in 2018. The month of August, however, was fresh and with mild temperatures, which favours the concentration of aromas and a very elegant Alvarinho. September started hotter and without rain - a perfect start for the harvest, which lasted for almost half of the month.

It is always important in our wines, be it Loureiro for ALLO or Alvarinho for the remaining wines, to find the best balance between alcohol and acidity. 2019 was slightly cooler than 2018, which we like a lot, and also with moderate alcohol. Finally, the expectations are great, but as the saying goes “even washing the baskets is vintage” so we will strive to ensure that the wines are perfect and live up to the great quality of the grapes.

2018

Started in the first week of September, the 2018 harvest was expected to be very late due to a fresh wine year. The high temperatures of August, however, resulted in a perfect harvest with the acidity and flavour very well integrated into a pure and delicate fruit.

2017

Having started at the end of August, the harvest of this vintage was the earliest ever carried out by Soalheiro. It has shown an excellent balance between the fruitiness and acidity of the Alvarinho variety, grown in the unique terroir of Monção and Melgaço. The rainfall in the summer months, especially in July and August, was very low, and daytime temperatures were moderate to high. It was the characteristic cold nights of this terroir, however, that favoured slow ripening and the preservation of aromas. At the end of August, the ideal point of ripening was reached. With a dry start to September, at moderate temperatures, the end of the harvest proved to be extraordinary.

2016

Different, but just as perfect as the previous harvest, the grapes from 2016 harvest resulted in more elegance with more moderate alcohol levels. The aromas in wines from this vintage are citrusy and tropical, all with an enormous persistence of flavour. “It is not usual to have two consecutive perfect harvests, but 2015 was exceptional and 2016 follows the same path”, state the producers.

The rainfall in winter was lower than average. In January, the rainfall increased and was very heavy, with an average ambient temperature that was also higher than usual. Overall, the winter was hot, which led to a slightly early budburst with regular flushing. The spring was rainy and cold in the months of March, April, and May, which resulted in irregularity and delay in the vegetative cycle. Flowering took place two weeks late, which reduced setting, allowing for better distribution of production over each vine and a resulting increase in quality. From June onwards, the rainfall reduced drastically, and average temperatures rose. The months of July and August were hot and very dry, with high average temperatures and practically no rainfall. September followed this trend, contributing to an early harvest that started in its first week, a clear recovery from the delay observed in spring.

2015

2015 was a perfect and consistent vintage. The summer months, specifically August, had moderate temperatures and cool nights, favouring a slow maturation and the concentration of the varietal aromas. The beginning of September was dry and contributed to a perfect balance in the Alvarinho. Flowering occurred two weeks later than last harvest because of the little precipitation in winter. This year we began the harvest on the first week of September to maintain usual freshness in the wines.

2014

2014 was a classic vintage with a precise profile, aromatic sobriety, and great elegance of taste. The wines have a perfect balance between minerality and intense flavour. The climatic conditions of 2014 allowed a very elegant aroma, mineral and tropical, with a good balance of taste, fresh and intense, anticipating a good ability to evolve in the bottle. The moderate temperatures during maturation (July and August) favoured the aromatic concentration and moderate alcohol levels associated with a well–balanced acidity in the grapes. As usual, we harvested early in September to maintain freshness., This strategy was very important in this particular vintage because of the rain that occurred at the end of September and October.

2013

This was a special harvest. The purity of Alvarinho was present with a perfect balance between the minerality and elegant flavours. After a winter with more rain than usual, there were low temperatures during the beginning of the growing season that induced a later harvest than the one in 2012. The weather conditions in July and August, very dry and hot but with cold nights, induced a very good quality harvest with a slow ripening. Moderate alcohol levels were maintained by water stress in the soil. The wines also had a well-balanced acidity due to the daily temperatures. The beginning of September, also hot and dry, allowed an early harvest, escaping the rain that occurred at the end of the month and early October.

2012

2012 was a perfect harvest. The summer months, specifically August, had moderate temperatures and cool nights that favoured a slow maturation, concentrating the varietal aromas. The beginning of September, warm and dry, contributed to a perfect balance in the Alvarinho. In 2012, flowering occurred two weeks later than the last harvest because of the low precipitation in winter. The rain arrived later with some during flowering, which led to smaller grapes, but very balanced wines. This year we began the harvest in the second week of September to maintain the usual freshness.

2011

2011 was a classic harvest. High temperatures at the beginning of the growing season allowed early flowering. Moderate temperatures during maturation (late July and August) favoured the aromatic concentration and moderate alcohol levels associated with a well–balanced acidity in the grapes. The harvest was early and longer than average, occurring mainly in the first two weeks of September. The climatic conditions of 2011 allowed a very elegant aroma, mineral and tropical, with a good balance of taste, fresh and intense, anticipating a good evolution in the bottle.

2010

2010 was a very special vintage. July, August, and September had high temperatures and practically no rain. This harvest resulted in a slightly higher alcohol content and acidity a little below average. To maintain the freshness and the balance between flavours, acids and sugars, we had more concentrated harvest, between the 10th and 19th of September. 2010 Alvarinho has a greater persistence of taste.

2009

2009 harvest was characterized by a slow maturation process with moderate temperatures during the months of August and September. The beginning of the harvest occurred in the second week of September. These conditions favour the balance between sugars and acids, allowing the maintenance of intense aromas and flavours in the Alvarinho.

2008

2008 harvest was characterized by a slow maturation process with low temperatures during the months of August and September. The harvest occurred in the third week of September.