HOW DID QUINTA DE MONFORTE BEGIN AND EVOLVE OVER THE YEARS?
LOCATED ON A SLOPE OVERLOOKING THE CITY OF PENAFIEL, QUINTA DE MONFORTE IS A HISTORIC PROPERTY IN THE VINHO VERDES REGION. IN ADDITION TO THE AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY TO WHICH IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEDICATED, INCLUDING VITICULTURE, THE FARM HAS AN impeccably renovated architectural complex, which includes a manor house, a cross and a 17th century chapel. THE GARDENS AND WATER FOUNTAINS, THE PATHS AND GRANITE WALLS, THE VINEYARD AND THE MASSES OF BIODIVERSE VEGETATION COMPLETE THE CHARMING SCENERY THAT PERSONALIZES QUINTA DE MONFORTE.
WHAT ARE THE MOST REMARKABLE MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE FARM?
THE YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHAPEL OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE, 1683, IS THE OLDEST (KNOWN) MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PROPERTY. PRESERVED TO THIS DAY, THAT RELIGIOUS MONUMENT WAS ORDERED TO BE BUILT BY A BISHOP OF THE OWNING FAMILY, AT THE DATE, OF THE FARM AND REVEALS THE PRESTIGE THAT THE PROPERTY ALREADY HAD IN THE 17TH CENTURY.
OVER THE CENTURIES, THE FARM HAS CHANGED OWNERSHIP, BELONGING TO SOME DISTINGUISHED FAMILIES IN PORTUGAL.
IN 2014, THE CURRENT OWNER, DANIEL ROCHA, ACQUIRED THE FARM, LOCATED IN THE FAMILY'S VILLAGE OF ORIGIN AND WHICH HE HAD VIEW FROM HIS CHILDHOOD'S ROOM. ON THIS DATE, THE FARM BENEFITS FROM IN-DEPTH REQUALIFICATION WORK, BOTH IN THE AGRICULTURAL AND BUILDING AREAS.
WHAT IS QUINTA DE MONFORTE’S PHILOSOPHY IN WINE PRODUCTION?
THE NATURE OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE IS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE THAT MOST IDENTIFIES THE Vinhos Verdes region where it is located. THIS IS OUR FIRST CONCEPTUAL MILESTONE: CREATING PREMIUM QUALITY WINES BASED ON THE SPECIFIC TERROIR OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE AND THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF VERY ATTENTIVE VITICULTURE AND MINIMAL INTERVENTION ENOLOGY.
ALSO, WE SEEK TO VALUE THE DIVERSITY OF AUTOCHTONOUS AND REGIONAL GRAPE VARIETIES, WITH QUINTA DE MONFORTE AZAL AND PADEIRO WINES (UNUSED AND/OR LITTLE VALUED VARIETIES) BEING TWO GOOD EXAMPLES OF THIS CONCERN. VITICULTURE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ABÍLIO GUEDES, WINEMAKING HAS THE SIGNATURE OF THE RECOGNIZED WINEMAKER FRANCISCO GONÇALVES.
HOW DOES THE TERROIR OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE INFLUENCE THE PROFILE OF THE WINES PRODUCED?
QUINTA DE MONFORTE WINES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY A COMPLEXITY AND STRUCTURE UNCOMMON IN THE REGION. TO THE RICHNESS OF AROMAS AND OTHER COMPONENTS THEY PRESENT, ADD TO THE EXCELLENT ACIDITY, TYPICAL IN THE REGION, PROVIDING, AS A WHOLE, WINES OF GREAT HARMONY.
THIS ORIGINALITY OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE WINES IS BORN FROM THE PLACE: TERRACES SUPPORTED BY GRANITE WALLS, A PARTICULARITY UNCOMMON IN VERDES WINES, SOUTHWEST ORIENTATION OF THE Plots AND A CONDUCTION SYSTEM IN VINE BARDS WITH A HEIGHT ABOVE NORMAL (2 METERS) AND A TIGHT COMPASS (1 METER), ALLOWING THE CREATION OF A VEGETATIVE WALL THAT FAVORS THE USE OF THE SUN AND, CONSEQUENTLY, MORE AERATED AND BETTER RIPENING GRAPES.
WITH THE CAPACITY TO RIPENE THE GRAPES, QUINTA DE MONFORTE PRESERVES THE NATURAL ACIDITY POTENTIAL OF THE WINES AND ADDS STRUCTURE AND VOLUME TO THEM, TAKING THEM TO ANOTHER LEVEL OF QUALITY AND AGING CAPACITY.
HOW DOES QUINTA DE MONFORTE ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY?
THE WORRY IS CONSTANT. THE THEME OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS PART OF THE FARM'S DAY TO DAY AND IN THE WORK IN THE VINEYARD, PRACTICING A VITICULTURE THAT INCLUDES THE SOIL AND REUSE OF ENDOGENOUS RESOURCES (MANAGE, PRUNING REMAINS, ETC.), TO THE DETRIMENT OF EXTERNAL INPUTS AND AGROCHEMICALS.
THE VEGETABLE COVER IS MAINTAINED ALL YEAR ROUND AND ITS CONTROL IS DONE MECHANICALLY, WITHOUT HERBICIDES BEING USED IN THE VINEYARD. FOREST AREAS WERE ALSO PRESERVED AND TREE NICHES WERE MAINTAINED THAT FAVOR BIODIVERSITY, AND IT IS FREQUENT TO FIND PARTridges, Rabbits, Quails, Jays, Blackbirds, Turtle Doves, AMONG OTHERS, ON THE FARM. AT QUINTA DE MONFORTE THERE IS ALSO AN ORCHARD, GARDEN, SHEEP AND POULTRY THAT ROAM FREELY THROUGH THE VINEYARD AT SOME PHASES OF THEIR PRODUCTION CYCLE.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES IN THE PRODUCTION OF VERDES WINES IN THE MINHO REGION?
THE RICHNESS AND COMPLEXITY OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE WINES EXEMPLIFY THE POTENTIAL FOR DIVERSIFICATION OF PROFILES OF WINES PRODUCED IN THE Vinho Verde region. TRADITIONALLY KNOWN AS A REGION PRODUCING LIGHT AND FRESH WINE, GAINING CONSUMER THE PERCEPTION THAT THIS IS ALSO A REGION THAT PRODUCES MORE SERIOUS, STRUCTURED, COMPLETE WINES WITH AGING CAPACITY IS A CHALLENGE - AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE?
THE MULTIPLE PRAISE REFERENCES AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE QUALITY OF QUINTA DE MONFORTE WINES BY SPECIALTY JOURNALISTS AND OTHER SECTOR PROFESSIONALS SHOW US THAT WE ARE ON THE INTENDED PATH OF QUALITY AND NICHE MARKETS.
AS FOR THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, WE RETURN TO THE FOCUS ON VITICULTURE AND OENOLOGY. AS OUR WINEMAKER, FRANCISCO GONÇALVES, SAYS, “FINDING THE PERFECT RIPENING AT HARVEST TIME IS OUR AMBITION. OUR WINES ARE MADE FROM THE QUALITY OF THE GRAPE”.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT ARE THE MOST RECENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS THAT QUINTA DE MONFORTE IS DEVELOPING? BUILDING A QUALITY AND CONSISTENT PORTFOLIO HAS BEEN OUR FOCUS. QUINTA DE MONFORTE LAUNCHED THE FIRST WINES IN 2021, PRESENTING QUINTA DE MONFORTE WINES FROM THE VARIETIES LOUREIRO, ALVARINHO, VINHÃO – WHICH COMES IN RED AND ROSÉ. MORE RECENTLY, IT LAUNCHED TWO WINES FROM OTHER TRADITIONAL VARIETIES IN THE REGION, LESS COMMON, QUINTA DE MONFORTE AZAL AND QUINTA DE MONFORTE PADEIRO, AS WELL AS TWO LARGE RESERVES OF THE ALVARINHO AND VINHÃO VARIETIES.
IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE INTEND TO DEVELOP WINE TOURISM, AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS ARE UNDERGOING ON THE NEW WINE TOURISM SPACE, WHICH WILL ALLOW, FROM SEPTEMBER, TO RECEIVE VISITORS AND TO CARRY OUT TASTINGS AND EXPERIENCES AROUND THE BRAND. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW WINERY AND AN ACCOMMODATION UNIT IS ALSO PROJECTED.
HOW DOES QUINTA DE MONFORTE ADAPT TO CHANGES IN CONSUMER PREFERENCES?
QUINTA DE MONFORTE IS NOT A FASHION PROJECT, BUT WE ARE ATTENTIVE TO CONSUMER PREFERENCES. WE ARE LUCKY TO BE LOCATED IN A REGION WITH HUGE POTENTIAL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GREAT WHITE WINES, WHICH ARE INCREASINGLY FASHIONABLE WORLDWIDE. NATURALLY, WE ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE WINES WITH EXCELLENT ACIDITY AND LOWER ALCOHOLIC CONTENT THAN IN OTHER WINE-GROWING REGIONS. WE ARE ALSO ALIGNED WITH THE GROWING CONSUMER PREFERENCE REGARDING THE VALUATION OF AUTOCHTONOUS AND LESS COMMON VARIETIES OF GRAPES.
IF YOU HAD TO RECOMMEND JUST ONE WINE FROM QUINTA DE MONFORTE TO A NEW CONSUMER, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? WE CHOSE QUINTA DE MONFORTE ROSÉ. IT IS A WINE WITH CAPTIVATING CHARACTERISTICS AND VERSATILE ENOUGH TO WIN A NEW CONSUMER. IT IS ALSO A WINE THAT REVEALS THE ADVANTAGES OF OUR FARM AND THE REGION, PRESENTING A PROFILE OF GREAT FRESHNESS, HARMONIOUS AND, AT THE SAME TIME, SERIOUS. IT ALSO HAS THE MERIT OF BEING A WINE THAT ENHANCES AND SHOWS A NEW APPROACH TO ONE OF THE TYPICAL VARIETIES OF THE REGION, VINHÃO. CURRENTLY, QUINTA DE MONFORTE HAS THREE WINES MADE FROM THE VINHÃO GRAPE, THIS ROSÉ AND TWO REDS, ONE WITH AGEING IN MADEIRA. THERE ARE THREE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BECOME EMBLEMATIC AT QUINTA DE MONFORTE.
