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Filosofia Bodegas Montecillo

Our philosophy

We keep our century-old philosophy alive, carefully selecting the very best vineyards and carrying out a respectful natural process of winemaking and aging, to offer wines that are both honest and authentic.

Home Compromise Philosophy

More than 150 years after its foundation, Bodegas Montecillo retains a solid philosophy of respect for the vineyard, the selection of the finest grapes and coherent winemaking. This is in addition to aging in high quality oak barrels and maturing our wines in the calm of the underground cellars, where bottles dating back to 1926 - the very year that the D.O.Ca. Rioja was founded - rest.

Viñedos - Bodegas Montecillo

THE VINEYARD: long-standing relationships with hundreds of vine growing families

Montecillo has maintained links over decades with hundreds of vine-growers in the area. This way of working together has allowed us to access the very best grapes, year-after-year, from more than 800 plots, spread mainly across Rioja Alta.
By spending a lot of time in the vineyards, and with the support of the very latest geolocalization technology, we can monitor the health of the vines throughout the growth cycle, the different stages in the ripening process and the final quality of the fruit, among many other factors.
Barricas - Bodegas Montecillo

WINEMAKING AND AGING: Quality and know-how

In 1975, our current winery was built using a design based on our original winery in Fuenmayor. A gravity-fed winery, where the processes of winemaking, barrel, and bottle aging benefit from gravity to minimize the use of machinery and electricity. This traditional way of winemaking is combined with the latest systems of vinification and aging. In 2005, Bodegas Montecillo was one of the pioneers in the introduction of Ganímede tanks. These tanks offer two main benefits: on the one hand, they allow for delicate, selective and efficient extraction of aromatic compounds in wine made in large batches; on the other hand, these tanks use the natural carbon dioxide that is generated by fermentation to carry out pumping-over without the need to use electricity

Another decisive aspect is the constant renewal of our barrels. We currently possess more than 20,000 French and American oak Bordeaux barrels, and by renewing these regularly, we ensure clean and optimal aging in keeping with the style of each of our wines.

Elaboracion - Bodegas Montecillo
Elaboracion - Bodegas Montecillo

BOTTLE AGING: Time and Legend in the very deepest cellars

Time is a gift, silence is an ally, and patience is a jewel to treasure. Our underground cellars lie in the deepest depths of our winery. Here, surrounded by darkness, calm and mystery, Bodegas Montecillo's wines rest and mature in the perfect, naturally obtained conditions of temperature and humidity.
The team at Bodegas Montecillo maintains a work ethic with a strong basis on the legacy that Celestino Navajas started to construct back in 1870 in Fuenmayor.