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.

The 2013 harvest in Rioja was classified by the D.O.Ca.’s control board as being ‘good’ in comparison to previous years. The estate’s east-south-east facing vineyard received 3,180 hours of sunlight and temperatures reached as low as 3.6° C in the winter and up to 30.7° C in summer. 276 mm of rain fell in 2013, identical to that of 2012, which Alvaro described as being ‘Mediterranean in character,’ due to the marked periods of extreme heat and high temperatures. A vintage with a much smaller production and slightly higher acidity, the 2013 PLÁCET Valtomelloso is a wine that can be enjoyed now or cellared up to ten years.

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 23 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 bottled in Spring of 2015.

85% Garnacha & 15% Tempranillo Acidity 4.8 g/L pH 3.55 Alcohol 14.5%

Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 28-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 team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 10th of October to the 1st of November.

Winemaker Alvaro Palacios describes the 2012 vintage as being 'Mediterranean in character,' as it was marked by periods of extreme heat and high temperatures. The month of August was the third driest (and summer in general, the fourth hottest) on record since 1961. Irregular rainfall lead to an irregular ripening in the vineyards and non-native varieties, which are the worst suited to this type of weather, suffered the most in Rioja. Traditional varieties fared the best, especially when cared for by vineyard management teams that had the expertise and patience to wait for the late October rains. Alvaro Palacios stated that a delayed harvest in his vineyards helped 'round out the phenolic ripeness' of his grapes, resulting in 'concentrated and vigorous wines, that show finesse, elegance and unique sensory nuances, which slowly, sensually and shyly expanded during the process of oak aging.'

Hand-picked Garnacha, Tempranillo and Mazuelo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being destemmed and out separately into stainless steel tanks for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 23 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. After barrel aging was completed, the wine was left unclarified, unfiltered and bottled in Spring of 2014.

80% Garnacha, 15% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo Acidity: 4.8 g/L pH: 3.55 ABV: 14%

At an altitude of 1,800 feet, the Palacios Remondo vineyards are grown at some of the highest points within all of Rioja. The vines were planted twenty-seven years ago and the soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil covered in gravel, similar to that of Chateauneuf du Pape. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil type is perfect for growing high quality fruit. The vines are narrowly spaced, pruned under a double cordon royat style, farmed organically and never irrigated. By the green harvesting and dropping almost 50% of their fruit, Palacios Remondo ensured only the highest quality fruit was picked during harvest, which took place between the 10th of October and the 1st of November.

2011 was the third consecutive year of drought in Rioja, characterized by extreme winter and summer temperatures and below-average rainfall. The coolest July on record in over a decade, though, prevented serious evapo-transpiration of the small amount of water left in the soil and vines. A warm and sunny August and September allowed the Palacios Remondo team to harvest each variety at its optimal ripeness. Upon completion of fermentation, Alvaro described his wines as showing signs of "wildness and timidity," properties of the austere weather conditions of 2011. Once in barrel, these traits were melded into a stunning finished wine that shows "great finesse, elegance and aromatic complexity" - hallmark traits of a great vintage. In a year the D.O.C. Rioja deemed "excellent," winemaker Alvaro Palacios feels his wines from the 2011 vintage possess a great Mediterranean character attributed to the land, sun exposure and high temperatures where his grapes are grown.

Hand-picked Garnacha, Tempranillo and Mazuelo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being destemmed and out separately into stainless steel tanks for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 23 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. After barrel aging was completed, the wine was left unclarified, unfiltered and bottled in Spring of 2012.

70% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo Acidity: 5.3 g/L pH: 3.49 ABV: 14.0%

At an altitude of 1,800 feet, the Palacios Remondo vineyards are grown at some of the highest points within all of Rioja. The vines were planted twenty-six years ago and the soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the quaternary era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil covered in gravel, similar to that of Chateauneuf du Pape. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil type is perfect for growing high quality fruit. The vines are narrowly spaced, pruned under a double cordon de royat style, farmed organically and never irrigated. By green harvesting and dropping almost 50% of their fruit, Palacios Remondo ensured only the highest quality fruit was picked during harvest, which took place between the 20th of September and 25th of October.