Monte Branco Red 2019/2020

Monte Branco Tinto 2019 is a wine of great character and longevity, revealing the excellence of the selected plots of Adega do Monte Branco. In the glass, it presents a deep garnet color, a sign of high concentration.

On the nose, it is still closed, but with hints of wild fruit in restraint, accompanied by subtle notes of spices and a light toasted touch, suggesting a promising evolution in the bottle.

In the mouth, it reveals an austere and structured profile, with firm tannins and well-integrated acidity, which provide balance and depth. The volume and density on the palate support a long and persistent finish, reinforcing its great aging potential.

An ideal choice for those who enjoy complex, slow-evolving wines that benefit from a few years of aging to fully express their full potential.

The Wine Advocate
RP 92
Reviewed by: Luis Gutierrez

Tasted alongside the 2021, the Monte Branco Tinto 2020 — the house’s iconic and eponymous red blend — was produced with 70% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Aragonez and 10% Trincadeira, sourced from the same vineyards planted in 2001 on limestone soils. It was fermented in a lagar and aged in 300 and 500-liter French oak barrels, 80% of which were new, for a year. It reached 14% alcohol content, but still maintains good freshness. This wine has a darker color and profile than the 2021, with slightly drier tannins and a touch more rusticity, although it seems a little more polished. Production of 2,500 bottles. It was bottled in August 2022.

Luis Louro is the son of Miguel Louro, from Quinta do Mouro. He created Adega Monte Branco in 2004, in Estremoz, after two years of buying land, planting and acquiring vineyards. He does not use herbicides and has increasingly focused on local grape varieties. He works a total of 28 hectares divided into five plots, all in Estremoz, the oldest of which was planted in 1993.

The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by: Mark Squires

The Monte Branco Adega do Monte Branco 2019 is a blend of 80% Alicante Bouschet and 20% Aragonez, aged for 16 months in 85% new French oak. It has an alcohol content of 14.2%. A little closed around the edges, it still caresses the palate with a velvety texture. The tannins are not harsh, but they are present, keeping the wine still a little evolved in every aspect. At the same time, it is beginning to show signs of how exceptional it can become with a little more patience. It is far from inaccessible today, but it will certainly be better by 2025. Perhaps then we will have a clearer idea of ​​its true potential. It is clearly on the rise — refined, elegant and precise, with expressive fruit.