Monte do Além
is located in the Algarve, in southern Portugal. The secrets of this region lie in the generous sunshine of its summers, softened by the coolness of the nights thanks to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean.
It was here that Vinciane, originally from Belgium, and her partner Parviz, both passionate about terroir, decided in 2002 to plant 6 hectares of vines.
Entirely cultivated according to organic farming principles, the estate is managed with precision and respect for the living world. Through limited yields, manual harvesting, and careful vinification, each wine is crafted with patience, expertise, and high standards.
The first grapes, harvested in 2005, gave birth to a few bottles vinified in the garage of the property, marking the beginnings of Monte do Além.
Our Philosophy
“From the very beginning, the challenge has been to obtain beautiful grapes — a constant challenge in organic farming.
The reward often comes where you least expect it, as Mother Nature remains unpredictable… Like a hunter lying in wait, the winemaker must remain constantly alert, because in organic farming, treatments in the vineyard are preventive. Almost no curative treatments are permitted.”
Our Estate
Our Vines
Surface area: 5.5 hectares
Age of the vines: Planted in 2002, 2003 and 2004
Soil: clay-limestone
Planting density: 5,000 vines per hectare
Average yield per hectare: 35 hectolitres per hectare
equivalent to approximately one bottle per vine
“When we planted the vines in 2002, 2003 and 2004, we chose a denser planting system than is usual in the Algarve, with a density of 5,000 vines per hectare. This allows the vines to draw deeply from the soil and produce grapes that are more concentrated and balanced.
Today, the vineyard covers five and a half hectares. We work with limited yields, around 35 hectolitres per hectare, which represents approximately one bottle per vine.
TRAINING METHOD: Double Guyot pruning, trellising and drip irrigation.
Pruning, along with certain other factors, determines the quantity and quality of the harvest to come.
Double Guyot is a long-pruning method in which the shoots are cut back, except for the two fruiting canes that are left for the following vintage. This work is carried out between early January and late February. After pruning, the two arms are tied to the supporting wire, positioned 60 centimetres above the ground.
DRIP IRRIGATION:
Summers in the Algarve are extremely dry. There is little to no rainfall from early June to late September. Therefore, although the presence of clay, which swells with water, allows the vines to survive the summer heatwave, this long dry period makes the use of drip irrigation necessary.
“A vine that suffers too much tends to produce a wine that is drying and lacks roundness.”
Indeed, excessive drought causes summer dormancy: photosynthesis stops, and with it, the ripening process. At Monte do Além, water is distributed thoughtfully, according to the strict minimum needs of each plot, in order to preserve the physiological ripening of the grapes.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The estate cultivates local and traditional grape varieties:
Aragonez: 7,000 vines
Cabernet Sauvignon: 3,000 vines
Petit Verdot: 6,500 vines
Merlot: 3,000 vines
Grenache: 2,500 vines
Syrah: 3,500 vines
A total of 25,500 vines.
Our Wine Cellar
Our wine cellar at Monte do Além — known as the Adega in Portuguese — was built on the estate in 2009 with great care and attention to detail. Designed over two levels, it allows the grapes to flow by gravity into the stainless steel tanks, without the use of electric pumps.
This has enabled us to constantly refine our work, improve our vinification techniques, and support the harmonious development of our wines, while preserving the authentic expression of the terroir.
FROM HARVEST TO VINIFICATION
If you visit Monte do Além from August onwards, you may see Vinciane and the oenologist walking through the vineyard with a refractometer in hand, picking a few grapes here and there to carefully check the bitterness of the seeds and the sugar content of the pulp.
Day after day, they determine with precision the ideal harvest time for each grape variety.
Once perfect ripeness has been reached, the harvest can begin. It is carried out entirely by hand, using small crates in order to preserve the integrity of the bunches all the way to the wine cellar.
Each grape variety is therefore closely monitored and harvested at its own optimal stage of maturity.
The hand-harvested grape bunches are transported in small crates to the upper entrance of the Adega. In this room, the grapes are sorted before passing through the destemmer and crusher. Once crushed, they flow by gravity into temperature-controlled, truncated stainless steel vats, filled separately for each grape variety.
The first fermentation is alcoholic fermentation, during which the sugars are transformed into alcohol. This process lasts from 15 days to three weeks.
The second fermentation is malolactic fermentation, which takes place in the vats. Ageing then lasts from twelve to eighteen months.
Blending is carried out only at the very end, once the wine has found its balance.
the vinifications are carried out with minimal intervention: no acidity correction, little or no fining, no filtration, and a very low amount of sulphur dioxide.
A perfectly healthy harvest, complete fermentation leaving little or no residual sugar, and good acidity are the factors that allow us to use minimal SO₂, which is one of the characteristics of organic wine.
At Monte do Além, we do not exceed 60 mg/L of total SO₂, while European legislation allows up to 160 mg/L for conventional red wines and 210 mg/L for rosé wines.
We are convinced that grapes of great quality, rich in anthocyanins, are the crucial element in winemaking. In this way, the natural balance of our wines is preserved, along with the finesse of their tannins and the richness of their polyphenols.
Our Wines
Analytical Data — Petit Verdot 2015
Total acidity: 4.8 g/L
Residual sugar: 0.8 g/L
Total dry extract: 33.3 g/L
pH: 3.64
Total sulphur dioxide: 20 mg/L
Alcohol content: 15% vol.
Petit Verdot
A grape variety originating from Bordeaux, Petit Verdot is rare and highly sought after. It is used sparingly in the Grands Crus of the Médoc because, as a very late-ripening variety, it does not reach full maturity every year. Its need for sunshine makes it particularly well suited to the Algarve.
Because of this characteristic, we harvest it last, though rarely after September 15.
It is a wine made for ageing. When young, its tannins can be somewhat firm and austere, but with time they soften, giving the wine a long finish, an intense colour, and a pleasant bouquet.
These wines retain their fruit character and, after a few years, depending on the vintage, develop remarkable tertiary aromas. Petit Verdot is generally recognised as a grape variety that enhances the quality of most blends.
At Monte do Além, we also produce it as a single-varietal wine. Little by little, it has become our “must-have”.
What to eat with our Petit Verdot?
It is best opened about an hour in advance, or decanted, to allow it to fully express itself. It pairs particularly well with game, meats in sauce, cheeses, and chocolate desserts — in short, festive meals, especially in winter.
A celebratory wine, it is best enjoyed throughout the meal rather than as an aperitif.
Analytical Data — Monte do Além 2017
Total acidity: 5.1 g/L
Residual sugar: 0.6 g/L
Total dry extract: 20.2 g/L
pH: 3.74
Total sulphur dioxide: 22 mg/L
Alcohol content: 14.5% vol.
Monte do Além — Assemblage 2017
A blended wine, it is complex, full-bodied, and well structured. After vinification and ageing in barrels, the different grape varieties are blended together. It is at this stage that imagination and sensitivity come into play, bringing complexity to the wine.
Monte do Além is our blended wine:
Cabernet Sauvignon: 35%
Merlot: 35%
Aragonez: 15%
Syrah: 10%
Petit Verdot: 5%
Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine a clear, expressive bouquet in which blackcurrant is very present.
It is the king of grape varieties and can be quite dominant. Merlot softens it, bringing suppleness and smoothness, as well as flavours of black cherry, chocolate, and blue plum.
Together with the other grape varieties, this blend gives us a rich, concentrated, complex wine with delicious depth and generosity.
What to eat with Monte do Além?
We like to serve it with game terrines and pâtés, all meats in sauce, beef stew, rib steak, and quail in red wine.
It also pairs beautifully with gratins, mushroom toasts, and cheese platters.
Analytical Data — Monte do Além 2019
Total acidity: 5.7 g/L
Residual sugar: 1.1 g/L
Total dry extract: 20.2 g/L
pH: 3.59
Total sulphur dioxide: 22 mg/L
Alcohol content: 14% vol.
Monte do Além — Assemblage 2019
A blended wine, it is complex, full-bodied, and well structured. After vinification and ageing in barrels, the different grape varieties are blended together. It is at this stage that imagination and sensitivity come into play, bringing complexity to the wine.
Monte do Além is our blended wine:
Cabernet Sauvignon: 35%
Merlot: 35%
Aragonez: 15%
Syrah: 10%
Petit Verdot: 5%
Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine a clear, expressive bouquet in which blackcurrant is very present. It is the king of grape varieties and can be quite dominant. Merlot softens it, bringing suppleness and smoothness, as well as flavours of black cherry, chocolate, and blue plum.
Together with the other grape varieties, this blend gives us a rich, concentrated, complex wine with delicious depth and generosity.
What to eat with Monte do Além?
We like to serve it with game terrines and pâtés, all meats in sauce, beef stew, rib steak, and quail in red wine.
It also pairs beautifully with gratins, mushroom toasts, and cheese platters.
Analytical Data — Rosé
Total acidity: 7.1 g/L
Residual sugar: 0.6 g/L
Total dry extract: 21.1 g/L
pH: 2.94
Total sulphur dioxide: 64 mg/L
Alcohol content: 12% vol.
Rosé
Well structured and elegant on the palate, with predominant notes of red fruits, our rosé is the perfect companion for your summer days.
Depending on the year, different grape varieties are used in the blend, mainly Grenache and Merlot.
Annual production is two thousand litres.
Our rosé is made using the saignée and pressing method. The grape juice is separated very quickly from the skins and fermented in a special tank at low temperature, in order to preserve its aromas and freshness as much as possible.
Unlike red wine, it is this short skin maceration that gives rosé wine its pale colour and aromatic character.
What to eat with our Rosé?
Our rosé is complex and gastronomic. It is best served chilled, at 12–13°C, and pairs beautifully with all summer cuisine, including grilled fish, raw vegetables, and traditional dishes from the Algarve.
Analytical Data — Clairet / Palhete
Total acidity: 6.2 g/L
Residual sugar: 0.6 g/L
Total dry extract: 24.5 g/L
pH: 3.15
Total sulphur dioxide: 31 mg/L
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol.
Clairet
Our Clairet, or Palhete in Portuguese, is a light red wine made for convivial moments. Balanced and modern, refreshing and fruity, with notes of black cherry and a discreet complexity that gives it depth and finesse.
It is an easy-drinking wine, best served chilled at 12–14°C.
Composition of the Palhete:
Grenache: 90%
Syrah: 10%
Aged in amphora, the Clairet breathes slowly, gains transparency, and preserves its fruit aromas intact.
What to eat with our Clairet?
Our Clairet is an easy-drinking wine, best served chilled at 12–14°C. It pairs very well with oysters and seafood, grilled fish, charcuterie, tapas, and white meats.
Our Awards
Monte do Além has distinguished itself on both the international and regional wine scene, thanks to the remarkable quality of its wines and the demanding vision led by Vinciane.
2012 — “Os Melhores de Portugal” — Revista de Vinhos — Petit Verdot 2009
2016 — Silver Medal — Concurso Vinhos do Algarve — Monte do Além Red 2012
2016 — Bronze Medal — Concurso Vinhos do Algarve — Petit Verdot 2012
2016 — Gold Medal — Concours Mondial de Bruxelles — Monte do Além 2013
2017 — Gold Medal — Algarve Wine Awards — Syrah-Grenache 2017
2017 — Silver Medal — Algarve Wine Awards — Monte do Além 2017
2026 — Gold Medal — Concurso de Vinhos do Algarve — Petit Verdot 2025
VINCIANE
Vinciane is Belgian. Having fallen under the charm of Portugal in 1990, she returned there for several years in a row and, in 1995, decided to restore Monte do Além, a beautiful and authentic property in Odiáxere, in the south-west of the Algarve.
Passionate about terroir and lovers of fine wines, Vinciane and her partner Parviz decided in 2002 to plant a few hectares of vines in order to produce an authentic organic wine. Sharing the responsibilities, Parviz was deeply involved in production, while Vinciane took care of wine sales.
Beyond wine, Vinciane above all enjoys sharing time with her family. Every summer, Monte do Além becomes a place of reunion, where family and friends come together to enjoy the estate and take part in its life, in a warm and convivial atmosphere.