This Rioja Alta winery is in the enviable position of having some of the highest and coolest vineyards in the region. The resulting conditions allow the grapes more time on the vine leading to concentrated flavours and good natural acidity. In turn this translates into freshness in the glass as well as increased ageing potential. These characteristics are best illustrated by the incredible ‘El Monte’ vineyard.

The venerable vines were planted in 1915, when Rioja was recovering from the phylloxera attack of the late 19th and early 20th century. The grapes from 'El Monte' contribute to a special selection wine named Cepas Centenarias. Yielding just 3,500 bottles on average per year (half that of a regular vineyard), this plot benefits from its 600m altitude and the cool winds blowing up onto the small plateau. 

The grapes are carefully transported to the winery in small boxes of approx. 19 kilos. When they arrive, they immediately go through a rigorous sorting process where the winemaker Laura Manzanos and her team discard any grapes that do not qualify for this excellent wine.

The signs are that this 2019 harvest is set to be a very special one at ‘El Monte’.