Monte da Raposinha

Monte da Raposinha is located in Montargil, in the northern Alentejo, 800 m downstream from the infamous Montargil Dam,a landmark of the town and surrounding region. The property, in the family since late 18th century, was given the name Raposinha for this was how Pedro Sousa, used to lovingly call his daughter Rosário ever since she was a child.
Flanked by Sôr river stream and the dam’s irrigation canals, the fertility of its land eventually fulfilled new dreams with the plantation of the first vine in 2004. Initially an exciting experience comprising only 2 hectares, this has now fully grown into a mature project of 12 hectares of its own vineyard. As a result, Monte da Raposinha has naturally evolved from the leisurely family’s vacation spot to a true viticulture challenge and wine production project. The first harvest took place in 2007, using only multifunctional wine presses at controlled temperatures in a small warehouse within the property, already under the supervision of the producers and field technicians. The success of this first batch was immediate. In fact, it was awarded the Talha de Bronze honourable by the Confraria dos Enófilos do Alentejo (Alentejo Oenologists Confraternity) in the 7th Best Wines from Alentejo Competition. This particular wine then underwent 14 months of barrel ageing and was bottled in February 2009 as Athayde Grande Escolha, today one of Monte da Raposinha main brands. The following years brought Monte da Raposinha several national and international awards, as the Brussels International Contest, and IWSC, IWC, HKIWC, among others. As the vineyard grew and succeeded, so did the Winery, as a new structure was built in 2008 with a larger production capacity, where the entire process is rigorously controlled in both technical and health matters, leaving barrel ageing to be done in the initial wine cellar, under controlled temperatures. Likewise, the capacity of production also increased, both of fermentation and ageing, with a total of 60,000 bottles in 2008 and nearly 100,000 by 2009. Since 2010, the total production of Monte da Raposinha has been of 100,000 bottles a year. Today this number is viewed as ideal by the producers for it allows following the careful control of the entire production that assures the established quality standards at Monte da Raposinha. In 2011 Monte da Raposinha was named Produtor Revelação do Ano 2010, Wine Producer Revelation of the Year 2010, by Revista de Vinhos, the leading Portuguese wine magazine. Proving love for wine runs in the family, the oldest son João Nuno chose Agriculture over his graduation in Law and joined the business in 2012 as commercial manager. Very marketing and sales oriented, João Nuno views the export area as the key developing asset. Since early 2013, Susana Esteban has also been a part of the project. Graduated in Chemistry with a masters degree in Viticulture and Oenology, Monte da Raposinha is proud to have her as the in-house oenologist, and righteously so as she was named the Best Oenologist in Portugal in 2011 by the above-mentioned Revista de Vinhos. For the Ataíde family this also attests to their continuous commitment and dedication towards setting the highest quality standards in winemaking. With a production of 100,000 bottles a year, Monte da Raposinha presents different wine brands, each one showcasing an individual character. Our vintage, the face of the project, is Monte da Raposinha, of about 7,500 bottles of white wine and 50,000 bottles of red wine, a year. For Reservas, on a higher stance we have Athayde Grande Escolha for red wine, and Athayde Reserva Branco for white wine. These are wines aged in French oak barrels, consisting of about 14,000 and 5,000 bottles a year, respectively. Our deluxe choice is a very special red wine, the Furtiva Lagrima, brought to life by the passionate man behind the project, Nuno Ataíde, inspired by the alchemy of wine and classical music, somewhat recalling Donizetti. Monte da Raposinha and its producers are keen on developing and further exploring this project. Step by step, a sense of distinction and precision is ever present in the search and creation of unique products that can present remarkable quality at every level, positively impacting all who come to taste it..
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