An Alvarinho fermented in contact with the skins, inspired by the traditional Georgian style.
Soalheiro Ag.hora Alvarinho is about people! Being inspired by the oldest winemaking tradition, this wine is a result of a desire to welcome new ideas at Soalheiro and create a unique wine through sharing cultures and knowledge between young Georgians and the team of Soalheiro. We started with Alvarinho because it is our first grape variety and, in the second year of the project, we challenged ourselves to explore new varieties, which resulted in Soalheiro Ag.hora Loureiro.
Ag.hora wines, at its core, are our belief that people with passion can create innovative, different, unique results through sharing culture, knowledge and experience. The name Ag.hora is a merge of two Portuguese words: “agora” and “hora”, meaning “now” and “time”, because this wine is a result of our mindset that the “time for making a difference is now”.
Grape Varieties: Alvarinho
Terroir: The Alvarinho grapes are influenced by a unique microclimate, receiving the perfect rainfall, temperature, and sunshine conditions. This is thanks to a range of mountains that protects Monção and Melgaço from the Atlantic influence. The soils are granite, and the grapes are grown using practices that support biodiversity and the viticultural ecosystem, promoting environmental sustainability.
Tasting Notes: Soalheiro Ag.hora Alvarinho shows a rather high taste persistence when compared to a red wine. This wine has a gold-yellow colour. The aroma is different because of the skin contact and the flavour elegant with tannins on the palate.
Vinification: The vinification is inspired by a Georgian style of winemaking. Alvarinho grapes are hand-harvested, partially destemmed and gently foot-treaded. The wine is wild-fermented in Terracotta followed by a period of around three months of skin maceration before it is carefully pressed in a vertical press. After pressing, the wine returned to the Terracotta, already without the skins, to age for at least 4 months.
Food Suggestions: Soalheiro Ag.hora Alvarinho is a perfect wine to discover in a wine bar. Is a distinct wine with a strong character perfect to accompanied by food. It certainly prefers heartier plates such as fatty fish dishes, lamb, duck, roasted chicken, mature cheeses, and anything in a walnut sauce or with mushrooms, such as a nice risotto.
Winemaker: Gio Chezhia & Luís Cerdeira
