The sun doesn’t caress the grapes in Alentejo in the same way. The more delicate temperatures in Estremoz bless the wines produced in the region with unique freshness and distinction. That was the place chosen by engineer Luís Louro to reveal us all the potential of the Portuguese vine varieties that he cherishes so much.
There will probably be those who defend that the love for the wines in not passed on from generation to generation. Luís Louro is definitely not one of those people.
Son of Miguel Louro, founder of the legendary Quinta do Mouro, Luís has been working by his father’s side for six years since his return from Sonoma County in California, where he did an internship.
In Estremoz, he established the Adega do Monte Branco. There he gave life to the ambitious vision of expressing the great potential of the Portuguese vine varieties he cherishes so much, presenting them to the world under the form of high quality wines.
The meticulous task of adapting the vine varieties to the terroir that enrichens them is made within the 26 acres of rented vineyards, whose soils are mainly composed by schist and limestone. That balance determines the concentration, the acidity and the aroma of the final product.
Deeply rooted in Alentejo, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet stand out among the red ones closely followed by the magnificent Touriga Nacional. Among the white, Roupeiro is the dominant in the region. Arinto and Antão Vaz are also well known. This bouquet inspires a variety full of character with two complementary brands.
The “Alento” wines wish to express the uniqueness of the Alentejo profile: they are full-bodied, have a fruity aroma, with ripe, yet fresh and balanced tannins. They are distributed by red, white and rosé, and by reservas white and red that intensely seduce the oenophiles. These wines have gathered awards in the Internacional Wine Challenge, Challenge Internacional du Vin, La Selection (Switzerland) and Mundus Vini festivals.
The brand “Monte Branco” is produced only in exceptional years. It reunites a blend of Alicante Bouschet, grown in schist soils, and Aragonez, grown in limestone ones. The wine critic João Paulo Martins, that has given high qualification to each of those that have reached the market, emphasizes their “density”, the “hints of dark fruits” with “a sweet touch”, and the austere character that invite to lagering in cellar. They are always complex wines, with a strong character – they are wines to keep.
Built in 2006, the Adega do Monte Branco welcomes, with its contemporary architecture, those who have the privilege of visiting the beautiful city of Estremoz. Just like the wines it produces, it pays homage to the wine traditions of Alentejo with a limpid and contemplative eye on the future.
