Palacios Remondo La Montesa

D.O.Ca. Rioja (Baja), DOCa Rioja

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 30-year-old head-trained vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per hectare). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, Palacios Remondo ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest.

Tasting Notes

Juicy and lush, with notes of cherry, raspberry and orange peel that meld with Mediterranean herbal undertones to create a wine that is balanced, bright and lively.

  • Date of harvest: From September 28th to October 20th, 2018.
  • Destemming-crushing: Yes.
  • Alcoholic fermentation: Spontaneous in inox vats and pump over. Native yeast.
  • Maceration: 35 days.
  • Malolactic fermentation: Stainless steel vats.
  • Ageing: 12 months in barrels.
  • Clarification Yes.
  • Cold stabilisation No.
  • Filtering; Unfiltered.

  • Grape varieties (%): 95% Garnacha, 5% Other red grapes.
  • Age of vines: 33 years.
  • Planting density of vines: 1,214 vines per Acre / 3,000 vines per Ha.
  • Viticulture: Vineyard registered as ecological viticulture.
  • Pruning style: Double cordon Royat and bush wines.
  • Cultivation methods: Tractors and inter-vines process.
  • Irrigation: No.
  • Green harvesting: Yes, just one bunch by vine shoot.
  • Production per hectare: 14.16 Hl Per Acre / 35 Hl per Hectare.
  • Harvesting: Hand.
  • Alcohol: 14%
  • Total acidity: 5.3 g/l
  • pH: 3.52

Classic vineyard surrounded by the rugged nature of Mount Yerga.  Limestone and clay-ferrous conglomerate soils. An arid, windswept spot that benefits from the cooling factor of elevation.

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 30-year-old head-trained vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per hectare). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, Palacios Remondo ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest.

Tasting Notes

Juicy and lush, with notes of cherry, raspberry and orange peel that meld with Mediterranean herbal undertones to create a wine that is balanced, bright and lively.

As in recent years, the late arrival of the seasons meant a delayed but intense winter in our vineyard on the foothills of the Yerga mountains. The ongoing frosts, the unusually abundant rainfall, and the persistent snow on the highest elevations of the Sistema Ibérico mountains set the trend for the winter season right until the arrival of spring, when high temperatures brought budding forward - 25 days earlier than in the previous vintage. Fortunately, our vineyards escaped the intensely severe frosts on April 27 and 28 that affected virtually all of Europe’s most important wine regions to a greater or lesser extent. In the easternmost part of Rioja, higher than average temperatures brought flowering forward (to May 20 in La Montesa) with no problems in terms of fruit setting. During the first half of the summer, sequential rainfall fed our soils with the right amount of water for the vines to develop perfectly. Water stress was in perfect balance until August: the 39 litres of rain registered that month were not absorbed by the plant as the downpour came in the form of a storm. The first symptoms of stress were noticeable. Coupled with the high temperatures on the second half of August and early September, plants were forced to retain some water from the bunches in order to survive. The first estimates indicated a 15% drop in yields with regards to the entire harvest. The early vintage brought the harvest date forward to the earliest in 20 years. On September 8, around 20 days earlier than the usual date, we started to pick grapes. Under such uncertain circumstances, we proceeded with caution. The warm summery weather during the daytime was followed by a severe drop in temperatures at night time until October 12, when we finished grape harvesting on the higher parts of the estate. As plants were suffering from water stress at the end of the summer, sap stopped flowing so sugar levels were kept under check. Although acidity was slightly lower than in 2016, the cooler nights traced between the strong skin and the dense pulp of the berries, a master template plot that contains and shows the great wealth of this vintage grenache. The sensation of firmness is amazing and the wine appears savory, clean and exquisitely harmonious. It is the expression of an unique vintage bathed by sunlight.  

  • Date of harvest: From September 12th to October 14th, 2017.
  • Destemming-crushing: Yes.
  • Alcoholic fermentation: Spontaneous in inox vats and pump over. Native yeast.
  • Maceration: 35 days.
  • Malolactic fermentation: Stainless steel vats.
  • Ageing: 12 months in barrels.
  • Clarification Yes.
  • Cold stabilisation No.
  • Filtering; Unfiltered.

  • Grape varieties (%): 95% Garnacha, 5% Other red grapes.
  • Age of vines: 32 years.
  • Planting density of vines: 1,214 vines per Acre / 3,000 vines per Ha.
  • Viticulture: Vineyard registered as ecological viticulture.
  • Pruning style: Double cordon Royat and bush wines.
  • Cultivation methods: Tractors and inter-vines process.
  • Irrigation: No.
  • Green harvesting: Yes, just one bunch by vine shoot.
  • Production per hectare: 14.16 Hl Per Acre / 35 Hl per Hectare.
  • Harvesting: Hand.
  • Alcohol: 14%
  • Total acidity: 5.3 g/l
  • pH: 3.52

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 30-year-old head-trained vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, Palacios Remondo ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest.

Tasting Notes

2016 La Montesa showcases the freshness, purity and elegance that Alvaro Palacios achieves from his family's estate in Alfaro. Juicy notes of cherry, raspberry and orange peel meld with herbal undertones to create a wine that is balanced, bright and lively.

The grapes for La Montesa were harvested from October 5th to October 29th during a vintage classified as "very good". After destemming and crushing the grapes, alcohol fermentation was allowed to begin naturally with native yeast in stainless steel vats. The wine was aged for 12 months in barrel before release.

  • Grape varieties (%): 92% Garnacha, 8% Other red grapes.
  • Age of vines: 31 years.
  • Planting density of vines: 3,000 vines per Ha.
  • Pruning style: Double cordon Royat and bush wines.
  • Irrigation: No.
  • Green harvesting: Yes, just one bunch by vine shoot.
  • Production per hectare: 85Hl Per Acre / 35Hl per Hectare.
  • Alcohol: 14%
  • Total acidity: 5.4 g/l
  • pH: 3.44

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate.  Described by winemaker Alvaro Palacios as ‘flowing wide in the mouth and possessing the wild strength of the mountain from which the wine hails,’ the 2015 La Montesa is incredibly well-balanced with velvety red-fruit notes and hints of sweet spice, orange peel and dulcet yellow peaches found both in the nose and on the palate. An exceptional, Mediterranean Garnacha-based wine, every vintage La Montesa is perfect when enjoyed by-the-glass on its own, or when paired with any kind of cuisine.

2015 was rated as ‘very good’ by the D.O.Ca. Rioja’s control board.  Favorable weather conditions in spring and summer produced perfect growing conditions for the vines, as evidenced by an excellent canopy development and plant health towards the end of verasion.  Harvest began towards the middle of September and gradually accelerated until the first week of October, when ‘the most intensive harvesting period in Rioja’ usually takes place.  During this period in 2015, more than 300 million kg of fruit arrived at the crush pads in Rioja and the grapes' excellent health prompted optimistic forecasts for the majority of wines.  By all accounts it was on track to be a ‘great’ vintage, but poor weather during the second half of harvest resulted in outbreaks of grey rot, causing severe problems for many of Rioja Alta and Alavesa’s farmers. Thankfully the sub-region of Rioja Oriental was affected less and a careful selection performed both in the field and at the winery by Palacios Remondo’s superb winemaking team insured only the very best fruit went into tank for fermentation.

Estate-grown Garnacha and Tempranillo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being de-stemmed and put separately into stainless steel tanks for a spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.  After a long maceration of 35 days, an initial blend was made and the wine was aged for 12 months in new and used 90% French and 10% American oak barrels. The finished wine was left unfiltered and clarified with a gelatin miexture before first being bottled in Spring of 2017. Wine analysis: 4.9 g/l (0.49%) total acidity; 3.55 pH; 14.50% alcohol by volume

Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 30-year-old head-pruned vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, the Palacios Remondo viticulture team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 1st to the 30th of October.

The Palacios Remondo winery history stretches back five generations when the D.O.C. Rioja was first gaining notoriety as one of the premier winemaking regions of the world. José Palacios Remondo, father of renowned winemaker Alvaro Palacios, founded the Palacios Remondo estate in 1945. Alvaro Palacios, born at his family’s winery in Alfaro, became one of Spain’s winemaking super-stars for his successes in Priorat and Bierzo and was recently voted Decanter Magazine’s Man of the Year (March, 2015).

Tasting Notes

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Described by Luis Gutiérrez of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate as being an ‘elegant, streamlined wine that is tasty with great freshness,’ the 2014 La Montesa showcases great balance and all of the lush, red berry and orchard fruit flavors that one expects when drinking an exceptional, Mediterranean Garnacha-based wine. Perfect when enjoyed by-the-glass on its own, La Montesa's multi-faceted flavor profile-including ripe nectarines, pomegranates, blood oranges and fresh strawberries, infused with hints of sweet spice -will pair well with any kind of cuisine. 88% Garnacha & 12% Tempranillo

2014 was the thirtieth vintage rated as ‘good’ by the D.O.Ca. Rioja’s control board. Favorable weather conditions in spring and summer produced perfect growing conditions for the vines, evidenced by excellent canopy development and plant health towards the end of verasion. Harvest began towards the middle of September and gradually accelerated until the first week of October, when ‘the most intensive harvesting period in Rioja usually takes place. During this period in 2014, more than 300 million kg of fruit arrived at the crush pad and the grapes' excellent health prompted optimistic forecasts for the majority of wines. By all accounts it was on track to be a ‘great’ vintage, but poor weather during the second half of harvest resulted in outbreaks of grey rot, causing severe problems for many of Rioja’s farmers. An intense selection both in the field and at the winery was required in order make sure only the best fruit went into tank for fermentation. Considered to be a ‘good’ year for red wines, curiously, the control board unanimously found the 2014 rosés and whites to be of exceptional quality, most likely due to the fact that the varieties that make up these wines are all typically harvested first.

Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Described by Luis Gutiérrez of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate as being an ‘elegant, streamlined wine that is tasty with great freshness,’ the 2014 La Montesa showcases great balance and all of the lush, red berry and orchard fruit flavors that one expects when drinking an exceptional, Mediterranean Garnacha-based wine. Perfect when enjoyed by-the-glass on its own, La Montesa's multi-faceted flavor profile-including ripe nectarines, pomegranates, blood oranges and fresh strawberries, infused with hints of sweet spice -will pair well with any kind of cuisine. Estate-grown Garnacha and Tempranillo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being de-stemmed and put separately into stainless steel tanks for a spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 35 days, an initial blend was made and the wine was aged for 12 months in new and used 90% French and 10% American oak barrels. The finished wine was left unclarified, unfiltered and was first bottled in Spring of 2016.

Wine analysis: 5.3 g/l (0.48%) total acidity 3.55 pH 14.35% alcohol by volume

Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. As the estate’s flagship wine, named Propiedad, was not made in this vintage, all of the estate’s 29-70 year-old head-pruned and trellised vines went into making the magnificent 2014 La Montesa. Each of the vines, owned by winemaker Alvaro Palacios in Rioja, are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA) in soil that is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era. Consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones and with excellent drainage, the area is very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their grapes, the Palacios Remondo team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 8thof October to the 11th of November.

  • 93+

    Points

    Wine Advocate, June 2020

    "The quality/price champion 2018 La Montesa is now 100% Garnacha from organically farmed vineyards from the 100-hectare family property that gives the wine its name. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats and matured in barriques, 85% of them produced with French oak and the rest with American oak. It feels very young, and the oak is still present; and the American oak, which is spicy and smoky, with ashy incense and vanilla with some sweet undertones, gives it a character that brings back the character of the traditional wines from yesteryear in a very clean way. It has vibrant freshness and should develop nicely with a couple of years in bottle. It has great purity and typicity, less Mediterranean than the 2017, nicely textured, velvety. I think the breakthrough vintage for this wine was 2015. This has all the grapes that would have been used for the Propiedad label, which was not bottled separately in 2018. It carries the EU organic-farming label. It's quite impressive for the quantity they produce—700,000 bottles. They started bottling in April 2020 from a single master blend. I tasted one of the first bottles."

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  • 90

    points

    Wine & Spirits, December 2020

    "This garnacha’s red fruit feels infused with energy, its gentle grape-skin tannins keeping it light and open. It grows at an elevation of 1,800 feet, the fruit of 32-year-old garnacha vines spontaneously fermented in stainless steel vats and aged one year in barrels. NYC-based journalist Jamal Rayyis noted the “piquant quality of the wine, like an older Manchego.”"

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  • 90

    points

    Wine Spectator, August 2021

    "A charming red, with a silky texture, offering cherry, mineral, clove and toast flavors all supported by a lively acidity. Savory details of herb and tea are carried along the finish, with moderate tannins. Drink now through 2026. 8,400 cases imported."

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  • 91

    points

    Vinous, April 2021

    "Limpid ruby. Expressive red and blue fruit, spicecake and floral scents pick up a hint of succulent herbs with air. Juicy, expansive boysenberry, cherry cola and candied rose flavors deepen through the midpalate. Shows very good depth and energy and closes sweet, spicy and long, with discreet tannins adding gentle grip."

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  • 92

    points

    James Suckling, July 2019

    "Lots of cherry and raspberry aromas with floral undertones here. Medium body, ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Fruity finish. A little tight now. Better in 2021."

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  • 92

    points

    Wine Advocate, June 2019

    "The 2017 La Montesa is mostly Garnacha with some 8% other red varieties and comes from a warm and dry year that saw a very early harvest, up to 20 days earlier than usual. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in barrique for 12 months. It feels very Mediterranean, with notes of Mediterranean herbs and ripe berries. It's juicy and lush, round and very pleasant, easy to drink. 670,000 bottles produced and will be labeled organic, very remarkable for such volume. It was bottled in May 2019."

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  • 90

    points

    Wine Spectator, September 2019

    "RED WINE VALUE - This polished red offers cherry, tangerine and vanilla flavors, with a fruity sweetness, backed by gentle tannins and sweet-tart acidity. Not a big wine, but harmonious and graceful. Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2024. 53,000 cases made, 13,000 cases imported. — TM"

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  • 92-93

    points

    Wine Advocate, February 2018

    "Álvaro couldn't help but offer a barrel sample of the 2016 La Montesa, which will be bottled in a couple of months, because it's one of his favorite vintages ever. He's been fine-tuning the wine since he returned, and he believes he has achieved his objective with this 2016, which is elegant and at the same time concentrated, with a little more of everything—acidity, extract and tannins, all in harmony. A round wine to drink and enjoy and one that expresses the nature around the vineyards. For the future, his next goal is to add small quantities of the old varieties existing in the old vineyards, Tinto Velasco, Monastrell, Bobal, Graciano de Alfaro... There will be 690,000 bottles of this beauty, which is organically farmed and will carry the certificate starting in 2017. Bravo!"

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  • 93

    points

    Wine Advocate, February 2018

    "Álvaro couldn't help but offer a barrel sample of the 2016 La Montesa, which will be bottled in a couple of months, because it's one of his favorite vintages ever. He's been fine-tuning the wine since he returned, and he believes he has achieved his objective with this 2016, which is elegant and at the same time concentrated, with a little more of everything—acidity, extract and tannins, all in harmony. A round wine to drink and enjoy and one that expresses the nature around the vineyards. For the future, his next goal is to add small quantities of the old varieties existing in the old vineyards, Tinto Velasco, Monastrell, Bobal, Graciano de Alfaro... There will be 690,000 bottles of this beauty, which is organically farmed and will carry the certificate starting in 2017. Bravo!"

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  • 93

    points

    Wine Advocate, June 2019

    "I returned to the 2016 La Montesa once it had been in bottle for almost eight months. It has all the rosemary, thyme and aromatic plants in the Monte Yerga in Alfaro. It has a note of incense. It's super juicy Garnacha with citrus freshness. It's incredible to have this quality at this price and almost unbelievable that they produced 690,000 bottles of it. A steal!"

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  • 94

    points

    James Suckling, August 2018

    "#81 in Top 100 Spanish Wines of 2018 - Stunning mountain freshness with delicate floral notes and mineral energy, this is a standout 2016 Rioja that shows what was possible in this vintage. Great energy on the breathtakingly bright finish. Enormously food-flexible. Drink or hold."

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  • 92

    points

    Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, August 2018

    "Silky and polished, this red is graceful and lively, with cherry, raspberry and orange peel flavors mingling with clove, toast and mineral notes. Lively and energetic, showing purity and balance. Drink now through 2027."

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  • 92+

    points

    Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, February 2018

    "Always a sure value, the 2015 La Montesa, has been increasing the amount of Garnacha in its blend, and here it reached 92% with the remaining 8% being Tempranillo. La Montesa is the name of a large estate where different lieux-dits, or "parajes" in Spanish, contribute to the blend of Valtomelloso, Valfrio and Valviejo. The grapes were hand-picked throughout October, then destemmed, crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats, with remontage, where it also underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine matured in barrel for 12 months before being bottled. There is a big jump from La Vendimia to La Montesa in finesse, freshness and subtleness. The tannins are ultrafine, and the flavors are intense and deep, with some spicy undertones and a very tasty finish. Amazingly good. A whopping 650,000 bottles and some other formats produced. The quality is amazing for the volume, and it's also a good value."

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  • 92

    points

    Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, August 2016

    "I tasted from two different bottles of the 2014 La Montesa Crianza, one that had been decanted for 18 hours and one that was popped and poured. The wine had opened up, but showed no signs of fatigue or oxidation. The just-opened bottle felt a little more compact, serious and a little backward. It had only been in bottle for less than two months when I tasted it and it didn't feel dizzy at all. The amount of Garnacha is growing in most of the wines and here, it's already 85%, with the balance provided by Tempranillo; in 2015 ,the proportion is even higher at 92% and 8%. It fermented in stainless steel vats with natural yeasts, including malolactic, and matured in barrique for one year before being fined and bottled. 2013 and 2014 were challenging vintages, and many wines were not produced. In 2014 (and 2013), there is no Propiedad, so those grapes were used for the La Montesa. The palate shows great balance, and the overall effect of the higher percentage of Garnacha is a more elegant, streamlined wine that tasty with great freshness. A whopping 660,000 bottles were produced, which is remarkable for this quality and price; it does feel like a more expensive wine..."

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TRADE & MEDIA ASSETS /////////////////

Palacios Remondo La Montesa – 2016 – Bottle

Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Bottle – 2015 and before

2018 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Tasting Notes

2017 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Tasting Notes

2016 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Tasting Notes

2016 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Label

Palacios Remondo Logo

Palacios Remondo Photography – Estate Panorama

Palacios Remondo Photography – La Montesa vineyard

Palacios Remondo Photography – Alvaro Palacios

2015 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Tasting Notes

2015 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Label

Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Bottle – 2017 and After

2014 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Tasting notes

2014 Palacios Remondo La Montesa – Label

Palacios Remondo Photography – La Montesa vineyard