Nicolau de Almeida is one of Portugal's most respected wine producers, with roots deeply anchored in the Douro Valley's winemaking traditions. The de Almeida family has played a key role in the region's development for generations and continues to craft wines that reflect Douro's unique terroir and artisanal skill.
In the early 1990s, JoĆ£o Nicolau de Almeida discovered a barren hill of schist in Douro Superior that would become Quinta do Monte Xisto. Acquiring the land was a slow, almost detective-like process ā piece by piece ā often requiring negotiations with dozens of small landowners. But with patience and the help of his sons, JoĆ£o eventually succeeded in uniting the property into a cohesive 40-hectare estate.
From the beginning, the family's goal was to farm organically, with great respect for the surrounding landscape. Only 10 of the 40 hectares are planted with vines; the rest is preserved as forest, olive groves, orchards, and wild land. Biodiversity is central to the estate's philosophy ā for the health of the vines and the balance of the ecosystem.
The vineyard's unique orientation ā one of the few in Douro with both north- and south-facing slopes ā offers a rare balance of freshness and ripeness. The vines grow at altitudes between 220 and 320 meters in schist soil, with grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, SousĆ£o, Tinto CĆ£o, Tinta Francisca, and Rabigato.
All wines ferment with indigenous yeasts, many in traditional granite lagares where the grapes are foot-trodden. Aging takes place mainly in 600-liter French and Austrian oak barrels. When fermentation is complete, the wines are transported to the family's cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia ā by the sea ā where they mature under optimal temperature and humidity conditions.
The Monte Xisto wines are characterized by elegance, freshness, and a deep connection to place ā wines that speak of stone, sun, and generations of accumulated knowledge, passed down through a family devoted to the soul and traditions of the Douro.
