Montecillo’s historic vintages: 2007-1948

At a time when history has become a prized asset in the world of wine, century-old wineries that seemed to have lost touch with part of their past are looking back to reinvent themselves.

Montecillo is a prime example. Fuenmayor's leading winery, founded in 1870 by Celestino Navajas, was acquired by the Osborne sherry group in 1973. With no direct descendants or relatives willing to take over the business, José Luis Navajas (1901-1984), the third-generation owner and a renowned Rioja winemaker, decided to sell to another family business with a centuries-old heritage.

The most significant changes in the new phase were the sale of the vineyards -including El Montecillo, which produced the winery's most famous wines- and the construction of a modern and spacious winery outside the town in 1975. However, some of the old facilities were preserved, including the historic Navajas cellar. Osborne retained most of the brands, notably Montecillo and Viña Cumbrero, as well as the relatively classical approach to winemaking and its commitment to ageing and storing the finest vintages.

Several decades after the change in ownership, Montecillo's pursuit of uniqueness has led it to explore its past and reconnect with the three generations of the Navajas family  who successively ran the company. Thanks to the meticulous research of Fernando Umbría, the winery's administrative and financial director, Montecillo has been able to piece together its history -uncovering details such as the inventory of the founders' assets at the time of their death, the 1919 deed of sale of the Montecillo estate and the extensive business interests beyond wine of Alejandro Navajas (1867-1956), José Luis' father.

In 2020, to mark its 150th anniversary, Montecillo relaunched Viña Monty, the brand in the Burgundy-shaped bottle that defined the era of José Luis Navajas. This was followed by the release of a significant number of historic vintages. This new range was first launched in the US, targeting Michelin-starred restaurants and a specialist audience, and has been available in Spain since last year. Some of the wines were presented at last year's Salón de Vinos del Tiempo, but just a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to taste the entire collection with technical director Mercedes García Rupérez in Fuenmayor's historic cellar.

Most of the wines were Gran Reservas labelled Selección Especial, usually released 15 years after harvest, but there was also a Viña Monty Gran Reserva 1975. Off-market, we tasted the 1948 and 1964 vintages straight from the old Navajas family cellar.

Wines from the Osborne period

All these wines were decanted beforehand. The information in italics was provided by Mercedes García Rupérez, based on the winery\'s records. Except for one wine yet to be released, all the vintages were made before her arrival in 2008.

Viña Monty Gran Reserva Selección Especial 1975. A wine with one foot in the past. The grapes were still sourced from the El Montecillo estate and harvested in comportas, the wooden containers traditionally used to pick grapes in Rioja. After 40 days in concrete tanks, the wine was aged in American oak barrels for 46 months. Initially showing blood-like and slightly metallic aromas, it evolved into notes of  leather and spices. The palate was very lively, with bright acidity and a firm finish. This wine won a blind tasting of 40 Rioja and Bordeaux wines in Amsterdam in September 1983.

Vintage rating: Very good
80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo
16.000 litres were produced; 653 magnums left
12.5% abv.

Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 1981. Made from grapes grown in Cenicero and Fuenmayor, the wine was macerated for 30 days and then aged in 90% American oak and 10% French oak barrels - French oak gradually became more important in subsequent vintages. The higher ripeness levels (compote-like notes) are well balanced by a minty character. Fuller and more opulent than the 1975, it retains firm tannins.

Vintage rating: Very good
85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo
30,000 liters were produced
12.5% abv.
€215 on the winery’s website 

 
Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 1994. The grape origins are more varied here, blending Tempranillo from Rioja Alta, Graciano from Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa) and Maturana from Navarrete –where this variety was already known at the time. According to García Rupérez, a considerable portion of the grapes came from Sotés, a village at the foot of the Sierra de Moncalvillo in Rioja Alta. The Maturana leaves its mark on the wine, contributing forest floor aromas reminiscent of Bordeaux, notes of dark chocolate, and a touch of oak on the nose. The palate was juicy and enveloping, with well wrapped tannins. Notably, the Selección Especial range does not adhere to a fixed style but instead seeks to highlight distinctive nuances in excellent vintages, resulting on varied wine profiles. 

Vintage rating: Excellent
85% Tempranillo, 10% Maturana, 5% Graciano
30,000 liters made
13% abv.
€175 on the winery’s website

Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 2001. First released in 2016, this vintage once again combines Tempranillo from Rioja Alta with Graciano from Laguardia. Aged for 36 months in barrel, with French oak now playing the dominant role in maturation, the wine reflects the energy and slow evolution of the 2001 vintage. It offers notes of red fruit, spice, and the characteristic herbal undertones of Graciano. The palate is precise, expansive, and structured, with bright acidity and aromatic depth. Complete and persistent, it lives up to the vintage’s stellar reputation.

Vintage rating: Excellent
90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano
30,000 liters
13.5% abv.
€160 on the winery’s website

Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 2007. A rainy, cool vintage that yielded lighter wines, reminiscent of classic Riojas. The Tempranillo came from Fuenmayor and Sotés, the Graciano from Laguardia and the Garnacha from Rioja Alta. The nose is dark and restrained, with hints of leather and tobacco, while the palate is juicy and fresh, with ripe but firm tannins. This is a balanced, persistent wine with the finesse and moderate structure of a classic Rioja.

Vintage rating: Very Good
80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 10% Garnacha
23,000 bottles; 130 € on the winery's website

We also tasted a Viña Monty Gran Reserva Selección Especial 2010, which could be the next addition to the range of historic vintages. With 15% Graciano alongside Tempranillo, it was still very firm and almost tannic. These new Viña Monty Selección Especial reds are expected to be the wines with the greatest ageing potential, and will only be made in vintages rated as excellent. Production will be smaller than that of Montecillo Selección Especial. As a result, both Montecillo and Viña Monty will have Selecciones Especiales from 2010 and 2011, but there will be no historic vintages of either brand in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 or 2018.

Wines made by the Navajas family

The tasting concluded on a high note, with two wines from the historic cellar of the Navajas family. These were Viña Monty, the brand created by Jose Luis Navajas, recognisable by its Burgundy-shaped bottles and light green labels –a tribute to his training in Burgundy. This brand served as the inspiration for Montecillo's new premium single-varietal Reserva range (Viña Monty Viura, Garnacha and Graciano) and its renewed corporate image, which now features the colour green.

Both bottles had good fill levels, but the standout surprise was the 1948 vintage, which, rather than displaying tertiary notes, exuded a striking minerality on the nose, reminiscent of dry stones, lending it an air of austerity and consistency. Well defined and persistent, its alcohol, acidity and tannins remained in perfect balance, as if suspended in a state of timeless harmony.

1948 was a drought year in northern Spain, but the resulting concentration in the vineyard led to an excellent vintage rating -only the second such designation since the creation of the DO, the first being in 1934. The 1950s saw three more excellent vintages: 1952, 1955 and 1958. In the 1960s only 1964 earned this distinction, often hailed as "the vintage of the centur" for its combination of quantity and quality.

The 1964 Viña Monty was a little more austere, marked by  tertiary aromas of leather and spice. However, the palate revealed the quality of the vintage with perfect maturity, hints of candied fruit and a silky, polished texture. Despite their different expressions, both wines were fresh and balanced, and managed to transcend their time. Both were made with grapes from the El Montecillo estate.