Monte Real driving innovation in Rioja, but still led by the land

  The Monte Real range shows Bodegas Riojanas combining 130 years of expertise with the best of modern winemaking.

As the name might imply, Bodegas Riojanas has wide experience in Rioja. It amounts to 130 years and five generations for the family company, with some of its brands having been in production for more than a century. It has also expanded to other renowned Spanish regions – Rueda, Toro, Bierzo, Ribera del Duero and Rías Baixas – but Rioja remains at the heart of its work.

One longstanding brand particularly speaks to Bodegas Riojanas’ appreciation of its Rioja terroir. French winemaker Gabriel Larrendant was tasked with crafting a wine that could be an emblem for the winery. Perhaps reflecting his French roots, the country being the archetypal home of terroir, he opted to make a terroir-specific wine from the El Monte estate in the Rioja Alta region. The wine even arrived in a Burgundy-shaped bottle, a flourish that, to this day, marks it as different from a typical Rioja.

Those vineyards have been of special quality. The Rioja Alta sub-region, long seen as Tempranillo’s natural home in the Rioja region, tends towards balanced, ripe expressions, and the El Monte estate in Cenicero holds true to that assessment. The vineyards, situated at an altitude of 430m–530m above sea level, have pebbles and clay-calcareous soils that naturally limit yields for the production of high-quality wines.

As the years have gone by, that viticultural value of Cenicero has only grown. More than half of the small plots were planted more than 40 years ago, with the old vines lending concentration to the wines. Some of the sites boast vines that are more than 120 years old.

Such a viticultural heritage is the basis of Monte Real’s different expressions. In recent years, Bodegas Riojanas has boldly added to the range, driving forward while holding true to its core principles. It is a fusion of heritage and expertise, with Emilio Sojo, winner of the Best Rioja award in The Master Winemaker 100 2023, leading production.

Balancing tradition and invention

The Monte Real Origin wines offer a pure statement of the label’s philosophy. The range of reds of different ages, as well as a barrel-fermented white, highlights the core tenets of that philosophy. These include a focus on Cenicero terroir, concentration and characteristic aromas of Tempranillo. They are the backbone of the collection.

Yet innovation has its place too. The Vanguardia range turns to the future with modern expressions of Tempranillo and Garnacha in red, white and rosé. Each is led by the vineyards, with the oldest, unique plots going into them. The Coleccíon Larrendant, meanwhile, launched this year to pay tribute to the pioneering winemaker with two whites. Each sourced from only two vineyards, they were inspired by the precision and complexity of Monte Real’s older barrel-aged whites, dating back to the 1970s.

Although rooted in heritage and history, Bodegas Riojanas has invested to ensure it can always innovate. Last year it launched La Galería, a winemaking facility designed to focus on small plots and special terroirs. With a variety of vessels, including amphorae, wooden vessels and stainless steel vats, the space gives winemakers the flexibility to vinify according to the needs of each plot. The winery is also at the forefront of green innovation. Bodegas Riojanas earned its Sustainable Wineries For Climate Protection certificate in 2023.

For a longstanding winery, it opens up exciting possibilities. Yet the root of Bodegas Riojanas’ work is still in its fine selection of vineyards. Indeed, for Monte Real, El Monte still sits at the core of the range. As that label approaches its own centenary, who knows what Bodegas Riojanas’ winemakers might coax out of the vineyards next?

Related news

Chapel Down appoints new CEO

All the medallists from the Riesling Masters

On the fifth day of Christmas