Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

When you write about a family such as Nicolau de Almeida, what can you do? Write up a neat and tidy text like in primary school? Simply state “there are no words”… and if they don’t exist, they won’t be read. Or perhaps… to overcome the conventional dimension? In the last case, as a compression exercise, vowels can be suppressed, or consonants removed.

Enough with the jokes, this is serious business. The Nicolau de Almeida family comes from Douro and Porto. António Nicolau de Almeida was the first president of Futebol Clube do Porto (F.C. Porto), in 1893, when the sport was practiced by sportsmen, the common term at the time. Gentlemen and working class men played on a level playing field, total fairplay.

João Nicolau de Almeida’s father created Barca Velha. This family is connected to Ramos Pinto company, who started to invest in advertising early on by going to the most celebrated graphic artists at the time, such as René Vincent.

Lately, in the 70s, José Pinto Rosas, along with his nephew João Nicolau de Almeida, searched for property with specific characteristics, which brought them to Ervamoira. The two men also conducted a study on the region’s best grape varieties.

With the context laid out, what can be said about Monte Xisto? Time goes by and João Nicolau de Almeida eventually retired from Ramos Pinto, which now belongs to Roederer. He searched for the perfect land where he could grow the vineyard.

In 1993, he found such a location in Douro Superior; an empty hill with many owners. He bought the hill bit by bit until he owned it all. Is it perfect? There are advantages to a hill: different heights, several sun spots, various types of climatology, which allow for planting different grape varieties – precious aids for the production of complex wines.

How to name the territory? Monte Xisto (Schist Hill): schist, the stone from Douro – a fundamental part of the character – and hill, because it is a hill. The simpler solution is usually the best.

Quinta do Monte Xisto red 2013

Maria Sottomayor – Quinta Monte Xisto

Every family member has a part to play and there are three technologists in Oenology: the patriarch and his sons João and Mateus. His daughter-in-law Maria Sottomayor, a professional of the Fine Arts, has joined them recently and created the company designs “blindfolded” as she only had the wine to work with.

They have recently launched Quinta do Monte Xisto 2013, made with Touriga Nacional grapes (60%), Touriga Francesa (Touriga Franca – 35%) and Sousão (5%), which were harvested in the beginning of September. Altogether, they make 14% ABV – extremely dangerous, because nature gave them the acidity that refreshes them.

They are grown biologically and the yeasts they work on for six days are autochthonous. The fruit is foot-crushed in presses, as per tradition. The wine then ages for 18 months in 600-litre French oak casks.

What’s the result? A wine for either just a few words or many words, a complex, delicious aroma that grows and evolves with time. Bold yet non-aggressive tannins, applause-worthy volume on the mouth, long and deep… “dark”, cool and warm. Entirely Douro, leaving no error margin.

Monte Xisto was born great in 2011, a year to celebrate. It confirmed the quality of the location and the family’s competence. As in poker: I am all in, I will stay in the cellar. It already is a great Douro reference.