Symington Family Estates answers their ‘Pequeno Dilema’ in the Douro

The Symington family has launched a new Douro DOC white wine from the 2020 vintage. Sourced from their prized Tapadinha and Chões vineyards, Pequeno Dilema is the latest addition to the company’s wine portfolio.

With Pequeno Dilema, the Symington family have answered a long-standing question, or ‘little dilemma’, that has faced them for decades: can an area famous for producing incredible port wines also make exceptional white wines? Pequeno Dilema is their fresh, elegant, and emphatic answer to that question. 

Ever since the Symington family began their mission to produce outstanding still wines in the Douro, they have been learning how white varieties perform in their unique and challenging terroir. Their search for grapes with immense freshness took them to Tapadinha and Chões, two of the family’s most prized vineyards in the Cima Corgo sub-region. With Tapadinha located 580m above the Rio Torto Valley and Chões 520m above the Pinhão River Valley, the altitude allows for more moderate temperatures and smoother maturations, resulting in wines with immense freshness, balance, and elegance.

Produced from Viosinho, Gouveio, Arinto and Alvarinho, Pequeno Dilema’s grapes were harvested in 2020 – a year with normal levels of precipitation during winter and early spring, but with high than average temperatures. Although levels of production were significantly lower in 2020 – up to 40% lower at some properties – the grapes produced were of excellent quality.

Smooth and elegant on the palate, Pequeno Dilema’s remarkable freshness and citric acidity combines with lovely floral notes and hints of vanilla and honeysuckle. Bottled ready to drink but also suitable for some additional ageing, this wine pairs perfectly with rich fish dishes. Only 5,000 bottles of the first edition of Pequeno Dilema have been produced.

“We believe that Pequeno Dilema is proof that the Douro region is capable of producing exceptional white wines. We searched across our vineyards for grapes that could deliver the freshness required to produce an elegant white wine and found our answer in Tapadinha and Chões – two of our highest vineyards. I am very proud of how our winemaking team rose to the challenge and used their experience and skill to deliver a delicate and balanced expression of these two Douro terroirs” says Rupert Symington, Symington Family Estates’ CEO.