When talking about the landscape of the Ribera del Duero, it is common for all attention to fall on the river that gives its name to the designation of origin. Its influence on the territory, the climate and the history of the vineyard is undeniable. However, the character of a landscape is also built thanks to more discreet elements, which complete the natural balance of each environment. This is the case of the Jaramiel stream, a watercourse that is part of the identity of the Monte Alto estate, home to Bodegas Montebaco.

The Duero River marks one of its natural limits, while the Jaramiel stream embraces another part of the landscape, creating a unique environment where the vineyard coexists with the riverside vegetation, the paths and the gentle slopes that characterize this area between Valbuena and Pesquera de Duero.

It is precisely this combination of natural elements that makes Monte Alto a place with its own personality.

Streams have historically played an essential role in the configuration of the territory. Over time they have shaped small valleys, favoured the development of native vegetation and contributed to the creation of ecosystems of great richness.

The Jaramiel stream runs through part of the Valladolid landscape before meeting the Duero, forming part of that network of watercourses that have accompanied the agricultural development of the province for generations.

In the surroundings of Monte Alto, its presence brings diversity to the landscape and contributes to creating a scenario where the vineyard shares space with other plant species and with the fauna of these ecosystems.

Beyond its route, the Jaramiel helps to draw a territory that changes with the seasons and offers a different image at each time of the year.

The Monte Alto estate has a very special configuration within the Ribera del Duero. The altitude between 840 and 900 metres above sea level, which places it at the upper limit for vine cultivation in the area. The microclimate that provides an extreme thermal amplitude and a slow ripening of the grapes, differentiating it from the lower part of the valley, and the Duero River and the Jaramiel stream delimiting a large part of its natural perimeter, generate that feeling of protected territory that has led many to define it as an “Island in the Ribera del Duero”.