The Wines You Can't Find Anywhere Else
BURYING THE LEDE IN PORTUGAL
Today, new challenges threaten small-scale direct importing. Which makes finds like Monte Branco even more precious—and more urgent.
There was a time in this country when any wine coming in from Europe was novel and revelatory. Thanks to wine-importing pioneers in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, America became a wine-drinking country and a wine-producing one too. But as the business matured, a lot of new players got in on the action, and seemed to be content to roll down the same autoroutes, through the same familiar appellations, knocking on cellar doors of big wineries, looking for the same bland wines to sell through the three-tier system.
That means what you see at most retailers, big-box stores, and grocery aisles is really just the same aggregation of wines, marked up at every step along the way; the importer, distributor, and the retailer all add a few dollars to the product before it gets to you.
That model never appealed much to us, because it didn't leave room for the discovery of the small guys, the new appellations, and novel flavors and experiences. At the end of the gravel road, like the end of the proverbial rainbow, there is often treasure to be found. It even makes up for all the wrong turns along the way.
There's a risk that access to wines like these might become increasingly limited in the future, and guys like us, dedicated to bringing them to you, face an uphill battle. BUT...we persist! And right now, we have something extraordinary.
Of all the producers we work with, Adega Monte Branco sums up what we do as importers best. Let me break that down for you: We’re talking about a winery from an out-of-the-way appellation, in an underrepresented country, making wines from little-known grape varieties with unpronounceable names. And we're importing these one-of-a-kind finds direct to you, no middlemen.
That means bold, unique flavors that you won't get from anywhere else, and value second-to-none.
Big importers are often just looking for another commodity, and maybe squeezing the wineries they work with for a penny or two more of margin, just so they can stack something forgettable at the end of a grocery store aisle. What gets left out of this process is the little guy, the family-run wineries, the unfamiliar, the too-small-to-scale…in short, the interesting stuff.
Now, Monte Branco is nothing if not interesting. They are quite literally down the gravel road, after what you honestly think are several wrong turns. The varieties they work with are indigenous Portuguese varieties, with hard-to-pronounce names. But there is that upside - wines like you cannot find anywhere else.
Today on offer is an incredible line-up of wines from Monte Branco that showcase the vinous heritage of Portugal. I encourage you to jump in and give these wines a try - every one is an adventure and a delight. You can select a few different bottles to try, or fully immerse yourself with all four. Here are some brief notes on the wines, but you’ll want to experience each one for yourself.
• 2020 MONTE BRANCO ALICANTE BOUCHET
A rich red with black fruit, fig, plum, and chocolate on the nose, with big, chewy tannins. Yet this wine finishes fresh with plenty of balancing acidity, a signature of the cool nights in Estremoz.
• 2021 MONTE BRANCO CASTELÃO
This one jumps out of the glass with black pepper, cacao nib, and blackberry, with a fine tannin structure. If you’re a fan of syrah from the northern Rhône, then you’ll want to give this one a try.
• 2021 MONTE BRANCO TRINCADIERA
The most elegant of the varieties that Monte Branco grows, with a breezy, lifted aromatics and an elegant textural quality - Portugal's answer to Pinot noir.
• 2018 MONTE BRANCO TINTO
Much like a band’s self-titled album, this is the defining representation of what Monte Branco does. A blend of 70% Alicante Bouschet and 30% Aragonez from the two best parcels, the wine spends a year in French oak to build a refined texture and add aromatic complexity. Highly concentrated and full-bodied, with rich spice notes and bold dark fruit. This is a prime candidate for aging in the cellar.
----------------
All four of these wines are made in extremely limited quantities (about 1500 bottles max!), and we’ve got just a handful of each available to offer to you. Every one of these wines is straight-up delicious and highlights the variety Portugal has to offer, and the mastery of wine-making at Monte Branco.