The Montez family traces its presence in the Douro Valley to the fourteenth century, where it became linked by marriage to the Champalimauds in the early-nineteenth century. Montez Champalimaud LDA was founded in 1922, presumably in the context of the 1920 purchase of 900 hectares of seaside property thirty-five kilometres west of Lisbon, just beyond the now-fashionable city of Cascais. An equestrian park was established on the land in 1922; residential development followed decades later and The Oitavos – a luxury hotel and resort – was opened in 2010, several years after the establishment of the nearby sports complex and golf course.
At this juncture, one might logically ask: how is a parcel of property situated 400 kilometres south of the River Douro relevant to the production of port wine? The answer: the direction of the Montez Champalimaud family’s energies towards the aforementioned developments has for two decades drawn most of its attention away from the production of still and fortified wines.
The Montez Champalimauds have been cultivating grapes in the Douro at Quinta do Cotto for centuries. The fruits of their labours were long sold to port producers until 1980, when the first still wines were produced by Miguel Montez Champalimaud in volume under the Quinta do Cotto label. Now retired, Mr Montez Champalimaud was once regarded with some justification by those interested in matters Douro as being something of a contrarian, most especially during the last two decades of the twentieth century. There were evidently three reasons for this reputation. First, he prioritised still wine over port production at a time when, to put it diplomatically, it was not the done thing in the Douro. In the event, the result of this prioritisation was Quinta do Cotto Grande Escolha, which was one of the first unfortified wines of any quality to come out of the Douro. Secondly, Mr Montez Champalimaud was relatively quick to capitalise upon the 1986 change in Portuguese law which permitted the export of port directly from the Douro Valley – although he was most certainly not the only small producer to do so. Finally, and perhaps most infamously, roughly twenty years ago Mr Montez Champalimaud opted for screw tops to close his still wines; he compounded this egregious breach of protocol by proffering a great many “unpatriotic” remarks regarding the shortcomings (as they then undoubtedly were) of the Portuguese cork industry.
Elsewhere and in due course, your correspondent shall delve at proper length into Mr Montez Champalimaud's contribution to the wine industry of the Douro. Suffice it for now to reiterate that Mr Montez Champalimaud put a great deal more energy from the start of this century into the development of the family’s land near Cascais than he did into the production of wine. Whilst Quinta do Cotto’s still wines continue to be bottled, vintage port bearing the Champalimaud label has only ever been produced following the 1982, 1989, 1995 and 2001 harvests.
Another Miguel Montez Champalimaud – the son of the trail-blazer - assumed responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of Montez Champalimaud LDA in 2016; and, last year, Miguel the Younger pledged to put renewed energy into the family’s interests in the Douro. During a visit to Quinta do Cotto in mid-2019, your correspondent noted the restoration of terraces and drainage arrangements alongside the attractive manor house which forms the centrepiece of the property; and, by that juncture, Quinta do Cotto had returned to the use of cork stoppers. What is more, several hectares of vines are being replanted, although it remains to be seen what else the current director of Montez Champalimaud LDA will do to make good on his promise to take up in earnest the wine-making mantel worn for a time by his father. While Miguel the Younger has signalled his intention of returning to the production of fortified wine, this would appear to be an aspiration currently uncomplemented by an operational plan.
During the 1990s, Quinta do Cotto Grande Escolha was a wine worth drinking as well as holding for up to two decades following the better harvests. And what of the ports? The best known of the four vintages is assuredly the 1989, by virtue of its ubiquity on the Portuguese secondary market - the said ubiquitousness suggesting that no fewer than gazillion bottles were produced. Supply relative to demand being what it is for a niche label produced with grapes from a C-grade property, the 1989 Champalimaud can generally be found for EUR 30 per bottle; and, with cellar husbandry being on occasion the order of the day, your correspondent has consumed a fair bit of the stuff over the last three or four years. The bottle which informs this tasting note was consumed on 13 August 2019.
In the glass after a three-and-one-half-hour decant, the wine looked as it always does; that is, like slightly opaque Cherry Coke. In a most unusual manner, this particular bottle threw up tiny bubbles at the rim; these curiosities were despatched by gentle blowing and the overall appearance of the wine was not off-putting in the least. The pleasing nose was dominated by black cherry and chestnut notes, its freshness being additionally suggestive of chestnut blossoms. In turn, the black cherry and chestnut hit the fore-palate softly, where they were complemented by stewed fruits. These agreeable sensations gave way to moderate heat at the mid-palate, this feature remaining dominant through an undistinguished, medium-length finish which came as something of a disappointment when viewed against earlier tastings of this port. It was at the finish that unresolved tannins became evident, the gentility of which suggested that this port has another five-to-eight years at its present peak.
Whereas this bottle was held back a touch by its uninspiring mid-palate and finish, the 1989 Champalimaud invariably announces itself in a not-disagreeable manner, its presentability being enhanced by the modest pricing to which reference has already been made. Indeed, with the arguable exceptions of the Quinta da Cavadinha as well as a surprising Kopke of the same year, the Champalimaud is as good as any vintage port produced from the 1989 harvest.
-88 Points