Bodegas Montecillo

Rioja Alta is lined with countless bodegas that have made their home on and around the Ebro River, but hardly any can look back on such a long history of success as Bodegas Montecillo . 

Bodegas Montecillo - exquisite red wines from the Rioja wine region

Founded in 1870, the winery near Fuenmayor, the old wine town not far from the Ebro River, relies on the interplay of traditional viticulture and contemporary cellar facilities. Rounding out the very late hand harvest of ripe grapes, creating a perfect balance of fruit, acidity and aroma. This results in the typical wines in the classic modern Montecillo style.

From a small bodega to a renowned top winery

Bodegas Montecillo, the winery on the small mountain, has been wisely managed since its founding by Celestino Navajas Mature. His son learned the craft in Bordeaux, which immediately flowed into the cultivation of the locally typical Tempranillo grape variety. Years later, under the leadership of José Luis Navajas, the innovations in the vineyard and cellar did not stop. Then, in 1973, when the renowned Osborne family took over the scepter of the bodega, Montecillo changed to new form. Large investments in new equipment and modern techniques sprang from the original will of the founders to establish internationally the wine emblematic of Rioja, but not to close to the future. That there would be no standstill was ensured by personalities such as Marie Martinez. Rocío Osborne and winemaker Mercedes García Ruperez. 

Viticulture at Bodegas Montecillo

Today, as in the past, the cultivation at Bodegas Montecillo is focused on old vines that yield less but give the wines a strong character. The vineyards are located up to 800 meters above sea level and are blown by cool winds. As a result, the grapes go through a slow ripening phase, resulting in intense acidity, fruit and aromatics. After selecting the best grapes, the harvest moves to the estate's own cellar. The must from the gently pressed mash ferments consequently in the most different tanks, so that in the wine a complex play develops. The cellar master Mercedes García Ruperez has conventional stainless steel tanks and Ganimede tanks at her disposal. The latter are ideal for a lush extraction of color and fermentation substances, as well as the separation of fine tannins of the grape skin and the harder tannins of the grape seeds.

Grape variety list of Bodegas Montecillo

• Tempranillo
• Graciano
• Garnacha
• Mazuelo
• Viura
• Tempranillo Blanco
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Albraiño
• Verdejo

Finally, the complex and powerful red wines mature in one of the 20,000 French or American oak barrels to reach their perfection. Bodegas Montecillo has many avenues open to it in vinification, but the result is always a high-quality, barrel-aged Rioja wine from Fuenmayor that balances tradition and modernity.