40 years later, Soalheiro celebrates the launch of its first bottle, whose label, dated March 20, 1982, bore the signature of João António Cerdeira, the founder, and his wife and two children, Maria João and António Luís, who today lead the project.
“ Soalheiro began with the Cerdeira family, but today it is a family of many families and a wine produced by many hands. And that is what we want to celebrate throughout this year. The territory, the unique culture of Monção and Melgaço, our team and the more than 150 families of winegrowers who are part of Soalheiro ,” says Maria João Cerdeira, head of viticulture at Soalheiro.
New Arrivals
To mark the occasion, the producer is launching two new products: an exclusive edition of four wines and, in an evolution of The Pur Terroir line of infusions, its first herbal tea, Tisana das Nossas Vinhas (Our Vineyards Herbal Tea), in a limited edition of 1.982 units, a reference to the year of the original bottle, which celebrates the biodiversity of the vineyards in organic production mode at Soalheiro.
According to Luís Cerdeira, winemaker at Soalheiro, “In the Minho region, celebrations take place around the table, bringing together family and friends, and therefore, this special edition is an invitation, or rather, a pretext for moments of sharing, conversation, and experiences, which is, ultimately, the great purpose of wine.".
The uniqueness of this special edition begins with the selection of two vintages, aged until now in stainless steel tanks, with very distinct profiles. The intention is to highlight the aging potential of the Alvarinho grape variety, as well as to demonstrate the subtle characteristics of each wine year in the profile of each vintage.
The Soalheiro Special Edition 40 Years comprises two blended wines, testimonies of two harvests from different years: 2015 L 15, a cool year, resulting in a fresh and vibrant Alvarinho, now bottled after seven years in stainless steel tanks with the addition of the fine lees from each new harvest, and 2018 L18, a warm year, which gave rise to a broad and persistent Alvarinho, aged for four years in stainless steel tanks without intervention. It also includes two blends proposed by the producer: 2015 L1518, composed essentially of the 2015 harvest (cool), 15% of the 2018 harvest (warm) and a cellar secret, and 2018 L1815, in inverse percentages. A game of oenology, which the producer invites you to explore in blind tastings and with your own combinations.
The labels on these four wines pay homage to the original bottle, in a recreation that carries the name of the founder, João António Cerdeira.
Infusion line
Following up on the recent investment in organic infusions, produced entirely on the property, the Tisana das Nossas Vinhas (Our Vineyards Tisane) is also being launched. As the name suggests, it results from a blend of natural elements from the vineyards, namely the skin and seeds of Alvarinho grapes, Alvarinho vine leaves, rosemary, rose petals, spearmint, lemon balm, and red and purple everlasting flower petals, which grow freely alongside the Soalheiro vines. It has antioxidant properties due to the presence of tannins from the skin and seeds of organic Alvarinho grapes.
The herbal tea is packaged in a bag made from Invinotex fabric, which is produced using the residue from the harvest of organic Alvarinho grapes.
It is worth remembering that The Pur Terroir line of infusions consists of 10 different varieties, produced using certified organic methods and a manual process, from harvesting to selection, which guarantees the integrity of the leaves and a high concentration of essential oils, preserving their natural aromatic and therapeutic properties.
The Soalheiro Special Edition 40 Years, with a retail price of 195 euros, is available in specialized retail outlets, wine shops and the Horeca channel, and the Tisana das Nossas Vinhas, with a retail price of 12,50 euros, can also be found in the producer's online store.
