Adega do Monte Branco | Alentejo, Portugal
- TINTO
- Sep 12, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Just beyond the enchanting white-washed town of Estremoz awaits Adega do Monte Branco, a winemaking estate which beautifully blends contemporary modernity, with authentic Portuguese style.
Visionary winemaker Luis Louro learned the art of winemaking over several decades, working alongside his father at Quinta do Mouro, then within his agro-industrial studies, as well as during an internship in Sonoma, California.
The combination of varied knowledge, and higher vision for indigenous Portuguese grape varieties, has inspired Luis to bring to life a veritable version of wines with character, for which Wine Enthusiast notes as being, “No shy wine this Alicante Bouchet...This estate has produced a powerfully rick wine, full of chocolate and dark fruits, as well as dark tannins.”
As Adega do Monte Branco is favorite place to go wine tasting, for the wonderful wines, warmth of hospitality, and impressive modern winery, we seized the opportunity to ask Luis a bit more about his winemaking methods:
Q. Luis, tell us about you and your winery:
A. I have lived all my life in Southern Portugal’s, Estremoz, and I always loved to be outside in the vineyards, so when I was 23 I decided that I wanted to produce my own wines, ones which would express my feeling, and the great potential of this region by making wines from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties, and respecting nature.
Q. How many different grape varieties do you work with?
A. Thirteen, and all are indigenous aside from Syrah, which we grow a small amount of for blending in one of our wines. To me, blending is like using salt and pepper while you're cooking; the purpose is to enhance other notes harmoniously.
Q. Everyone talks about terroir: What makes yours special?
A. Terroir is the combination of four factors: grape varieties, soil, climate and human influence. It is a very warm and dry region, but our vineyards sit at an altitude of 450m, on top of a large subsoil water reserve, which makes our microclimate a little less warm and dry. Our topsoil consists of limestone and shale.
Q. What do you do to keep your wines and land healthy?
A. We are a part of a sustainable growing program, one which encompasses our entire process, from vineyard planting and management, to wine production, packaging and logistics. On top of that, our goal is to express our terroir, by respecting the environment and what nature gives us.
Q. Tell us something special about your region:
A. Estremoz is a historical city surrounded by medieval walls, and was a very important city in Portugal during the 13th and 14th centuries. Many important battles in the history of Portugal are connected to this town. It is known as the ‘white village,’ because of the color of the houses and white marble from the region.
Q. What are your goals for the winery?
A. My goal is to keep making authentic sustainable wines, and to find customers that share our values, and help us continue doing what we do. It is important to me that we do not grow in volume; I believe if you grow too much you lose wine passion and become a wine industry. I would also like to produce more varieties of wines, especially wines that show character and respect the history and grape varieties of the region.
Winery: Adega Monte Branco
Winemakers: Luís Louro and Inês Capão
Appellation: Alentejo, Portugal
Total Production in Bottles: 250,000
Number of Different Wines Produced: 8
Cork Closures: Yes
Farming Methods: Sustainable
Yield per Hectare: 7
