4.5 Review: Monte Velho Rosé
While you can enjoy rosé any time of year, the warm weather outside is telling me rosé season is officially here. Let’s kick off the season with a review of a delicious rosé that retails for a mere $12.
Monte Velho (pronounced MON-teh VELL-yo) is one of the brands produced by Portuguese wine producer, Esporão. I’ve reviewed several other wines from Esporão over the past few years, because they have a great track record of producing delicious, affordably-priced wines with sustainable practices. You might say I’m an admirer of theirs, and I’m not alone. For the past three years Esporão has been named one of the World’s Most Admired Wine Brands by Drinks International magazine.
In some of my prior reviews of Esporão wines I’ve highlighted their sustainability practices, such as their organic farming practices. Another way they incorporate sustainability into their operations is through eco-friendly packaging. This wine come in lighter weight bottles, shipped in cartons made from 100% varnish-free recycled cardboard. These may seem like small details, but the details matter.
Monte Velho rosé is a new wine from their portfolio, making its debut in the US this year. It’s made from a blend of red and white grapes, including Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Syrah, Trincadeira, Tinta Caiada and Arinto, which makes for a uniquely Portuguese wine. The name, Monte Velho, translates to mean “old mound” and is a reference to a hill on the Esporão estate upon which an old fortress stands — which is depicted on the label.
Tasting Notes
The aromas from this wine are very refreshing, offering fragrances of strawberry, tangerine, raspberry, wet stone and wildflowers. It’s lovely on the palate as well, where you’ll find flavors like lemon, strawberry, raspberry and salty minerals. It has a good amount of acidity to add brightness. The mouthfeel is nice. It finishes medium-long with lemon, strawberry and saline flavors.
Wine: Monte Velho Rosé
Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Syrah, Trincadeira, Tinta Caiada, Arinto
Vintage: 2021
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 91
Average price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
What others are saying about Monte Velho Rosé:
