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Monte Branco Tinto 2019/2020/2021

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Vintage
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TECH SHEET

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Vintage
Region
Alentejo
Type
Red
Alcohol
14% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

White

Acidity
Body
Sweetness
Alcohol14% vol

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · White

Acidity

Level 3 of 5 — Fresh and balanced – like a green apple

Below typical (4.1) · Typical: average of 434 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced This wine
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy

In practice, for this wine

Versatile at the table: grilled fish, poultry, warm salads. Moderate chilling lifts the freshness.

Wine profile · White

Body

Level 5 of 5 — Full and dense – like double cream

Above typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 436 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad
  5. 5Full: dense and rich This wine

In practice, for this wine

For intense dishes: oven roasts, game, stews, strong cheese. A large glass helps it open.

Wine profile · White

Sweetness

Level 1 of 5 — Dry – no sugar you can taste, just fruit

In line with typical (1.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Sweetness comes from the grape's natural sugar that did not turn into alcohol (residual sugar). A dry wine has almost none; a Port or a late-harvest wine has a lot.

Where you feel it

On the tip of your tongue, right from the first sip, and as a richer, oilier feel in the mouth. Acidity can mask it.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the sweetness category recorded on the product sheet (dry, off-dry…).

It is measured in grams of residual sugar per litre. General EU bands: dry up to about 4 g/L, off-dry up to 12, medium-sweet up to 45, sweet above that. On our scale: under 4 g/L = 1, up to 12 = 2, up to 45 = 3, up to 100 = 4, more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Dry: no noticeable sugar This wine
  2. 2Off-dry: a touch of sweetness
  3. 3Medium-sweet: clearly sweet
  4. 4Sweet: rich and fruity
  5. 5Very sweet: luscious

In practice, for this wine

Goes with the whole meal, from savoury to mildly spicy. Avoid sweet desserts: they make it taste bitter.

Wine profile · White

Alcohol 14% vol

Level 4 of 5 — Generous – warms the throat

Above typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 14% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol This wine
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Avoid very spicy food, which boosts the heat. Serve slightly below room temperature.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 16–18 °CIf the room is above 20 °C, 15 min in the fridge
GlassBordeaux glass
Open ahead 15 min · No decanting

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Description

Monte Branco tinto 2021 is a prestigious DOC Alentejo wine, made by Adega do Monte Branco in Estremoz, signed by winemaker Luís Louro. It's the winery's top wine, recognised for its great structure, precision and longevity.

The Wine AdvocateRP 94Reviewed by: Mark Squires

The 2019 Monte Branco Adega do Monte Branco is a blend of 80% Alicante Bouschet and 20% Aragonez, aged for 16 months in 85% new French oak. It comes in at 14.2% alcohol. A little tight around the edges, it still caresses the palate with a velvety texture. The tannins aren't harsh but they're there, keeping the wine a bit reined in all round. At the same time, it's starting to show hints of how exceptional it could become with a little more patience. It's far from inaccessible today, but it will certainly be better around 2025. Perhaps then we'll have a clearer idea of its true potential. It's clearly on the rise — refined, elegant and precise, with expressive fruit.

The Wine AdvocateRP 92Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

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

Luis Louro is the son of Miguel Louro of Quinta do Mouro. He founded Adega Monte Branco in 2004 in Estremoz, after two years of buying land, planting and acquiring vineyards. He doesn't use herbicides and pays increasing attention to local grapes. He farms a total of 28 hectares in five plots, all in Estremoz, the oldest planted in 1993.

The Wine AdvocateRP 93Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The namesake 2021 Monte Branco Tinto was made with 70% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Aragonez and 10% Trincadeira from dry-farmed vineyards planted in 2001 on limestone soils at 350 metres. It fermented in lagar with foot-treading and aged for 16 months in 300- and 500-litre French oak barrels, 80% new. It's quite oak-marked, ripe without excess and concentrated, with abundant tannins. It has 13.8% alcohol. It needs time. 4,860 bottles, 370 magnums and 30 double magnums were produced. It was bottled in August 2023.

Luis Louro is the son of Miguel Louro of Quinta do Mouro. He founded Adega Monte Branco in 2004 in Estremoz, after two years spent buying land, planting and acquiring vineyards. He doesn't use herbicides and pays increasing attention to local grapes. He farms a total of 28 hectares across five plots, all in Estremoz, the oldest planted in 1993. Average production is 200,000 bottles a year.

Published: 15 May 2025

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.