Why it matters
The producer
Vieira de Sousa is a family-owned Port producer spanning five generations. José Silvério Vieira de Sousa created the brand, and estate bottling resumed in 2008 when Luísa Vieira de Sousa and her father António reinvested in bottling Port under the family name.
Luísa, an oenology graduate, is the head winemaker. Her younger sister Maria manages the business. Every wine is produced from grapes grown across five family estates covering almost 60 hectares in the Douro Valley, all within Cima-Corgo.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Quinta da Fonte stands at 600 metres in Celeirós and is used for white grapes. Its vineyards occupy a small plateau exposed to fresh winds, conditions the family links to grapes with high acidity and complexity. Alice Vieira de Sousa Branco uses fruit from a family estate on the Celeirós plateau near Sabrosa.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range spans age-designated Tawnies, Colheitas, Vintage Ports, DOC Douro whites and reds, unoaked bottlings and single-variety wines. Grapes from the highest and oldest vineyards supply the Vintage and LBV Ports, while selected fruit at Quinta da Fonte is fermented by traditional foot treading.
Alice Vieira de Sousa Branco blends Rabigato, Viosinho and Gouveio. The grapes are crushed and pressed, followed by a long, low-temperature fermentation in stainless-steel tanks. It has citrus and mineral notes, with a long, dry finish.