This century-old winery traces its roots back to 1870, when municipal records in Fuenmayor documented that Celestino Navajas' main occupation was wine. A trained baker, he built the winery on vineyards owned by his wife, Eusebia Lafuente. Following Celestino's death in 1896, the company was renamed Viuda (widow) de Celestino Navajas.
The second generation, led by Gregorio and Alejandro Navajas, significantly expanded the business. Gregorio, the eldest, sought to create the first Rioja cooperative, Sociedad de Labranza de Fuenmayor, where he served as president. Meanwhile, Alejandro pursued ventures beyond the wine industry. Educated in Bordeaux, he later settled in Bilbao and rubbed shoulders with the local bourgeoisie. He became a Board member of Sociedad Española de la Dinamita (SED) and Vapor Nemrod Company, which specialised in transporting explosives by sea, and even set up his own shipping company.
Montecillo and Viña Monty
The untimely death of his brother led Alejandro to take over the winery and relocate part of his business to La Rioja. There, he founded Cía. Hidroeléctrica del Buicio and built the Fuenmayor cinema. During this period, the wines were labelled Alejandro Navajas Cosechero. The Montecillo brand, his flagship, originated from a plot along the Ebro River and known for its excellent ripeness. Initially owned by Sociedad de Labranza de Fuenmayor, the land was bought by Alejandro after the company’s collapse. Grapes from this vineyard were used to make both red wines and a dry white wine, which was sold in Rhine-shaped bottles.
Another key brand, Viña Monty, was created by Alejandro's son José Luis. Born in 1901, he took over the winery in 1943. He trained as a cellar master in Vilafranca del Penedès before furthering his studies in Beaune, Burgundy. The name Monty was intended as an English allusion to Montecillo. The wines were sold in Burgundy-shaped bottles with light green labels. José Luis Navajas was a renowned winemaker in Rioja and introduced cold fermentation to the region. With no direct heirs or family members interested in the business, he sold the bodega to Osborne Sherry group in 1973.
The 1970s saw the arrival of major investors in Rioja along with the challenges of the oil crisis. To mitigate its impact and finance the construction of a modern winery in nearby Navarrete, the new owners sold El Montecillo vineyard. From then on, the company relied exclusively on grape suppliers. Most of these come from Rioja Alta, except for an important source in Baños de Ebro (Rioja Alavesa), while Garnacha Blanca, Sauvignon Blanc and Graciano are bought from Rioja Oriental. Today, the winery owns four hectares of vineyards next to the winery, where an organic wine project is underway. Part of the historic site in Fuenmayor has been preserved, including the old cellar, which houses vintages going back to 1926 -wines that were made by the Navajas family.
Montecillo processes between three and five million kilos of grapes annually. It has 17,000 barrels and an impressive ageing cellar, where wines are still stacked by hand. A curious fact: between the 1970s and 2010, Montecillo operated its own cooperage, handling part of the wood drying process and producing nearly all the American oak casks required for the winery.
Classic and modern styles plus historic vintages
The most widely available wines are part of the so-called 'classic range'. These include Montecillo Crianza (€8), Reserva (€13) and Gran Reserva (€22), as well as a rosé blend of red and white Tempranillo (€7) and a barrel fermented white (€10) with over 40% Sauvignon Blanc in the blend.
The 'singular wines' represent a more modern style. There are two Edición Limitada: a Garnacha Blanca (€17) and a red (€18) made from Tempranillo and Graciano, with the latter accounting for around 30% of the blend. Montecillo Gran Reserva 22 Barricas (€37) completes the range. It is a blend of the four traditional Rioja red varieties, with a moderate Tempranillo influence (45%), a good amount of Graciano (35%) and equal percentages of Garnacha and Mazuelo.
The premium range focuses on old vintages and the revival of the Viña Monty brand, which was relaunched in 2020 to mark the winery's 150th anniversary. These wines are made in separate facilities with special conditions for white wines.
The Viña Monty range includes three Reserva wines, each limited to fewer than 8,000 bottles and priced at around €40. Viña Monty Viura is sourced from a very old vineyard in Sotés, in the Moncalvillo area; it is a low-yielding, sun-drenched plot on sandy, gravely soils over a limestone bedrock. Viña Monty Garnacha is made from 85-year-old vines in Arenzana (Najerilla Valley) resulting in a juicy, exuberant wine. It is aged 24 months in French oak, followed by an additional four years in bottle before release. Finally, Viña Monty Graciano combines fruit from a 30-year-old Cenicero vineyard on limestone soil with a small proportion of Graciano from Rioja Oriental grown on clayey soils. While retaining the variety’s herbal notes and energy, it feels slightly voluptuous with a pleasant texture.
The historic vintages include Viña Monty Gran Reserva (1975, the oldest vintage available, was made with grapes from the Montecillo estate) and Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial. The latter wines are released 15 years after the harvest. Made only in exceptional vintages, these wines aim to express the specific nuances of the year, resulting in stylistic variations. For instance, the 1981 has more Garnacha, the 1994 is marked by the presence of Maturana in the blend, the 2001 is very structured and the 2007 is juicier and more refined.
With its extensive 20,000-square-metre facilities, Montecillo offers a variety of wine tourism experiences.Visitors can relax in the landscaped garden, enjoying a picnic in good weather or attend the Montecillo Summer Soirée concert series.The area is also available for private events and weddings. There is also a wine shop, a wine bar and even an escape room experience.