Monte Real from Bodegas Riojanas: Innovating since 1890

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Imagine it: it’s dawn, there’s dew underfoot, and the rising sun gleams through the mist. As far as the eye can see, there’s Tempranillo on the vine – awaiting harvest.

This is Cenicero, in the very heart of Rioja Alta, and on mornings like this, it feels as though time holds its breath. That’s because, under the care of Bodegas Riojanas, these vineyards produce wines in a tradition that stretches back centuries.

A craft handed down for generations

When they founded Bodegas Riojanas 130 years ago, the Artacho family already had over 100 years of winemaking tradition behind them. The winery has since earned an international reputation for quality – indeed, Bodegas Riojanas even predates the creation of the Rioja Designation of Origin in 1925. It was in the 1930s, though, that Bodegas Riojanas released a wine that would soon become a global icon: Monte Real.

Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Rioja Gran Reserva

Bodegas Riojanas’ Monte Real Gran Reserva

The very best of Tempranillo

In the 1930s, Román Artacho entrusted French winemaker Gabriel Larrendant with the task of producing a wine embodying the soul of Bodegas Riojanas. Larrendant spotted the extraordinary potential of the El Monte estate in Cenicero, whose vineyards sit between 430 and 530 metres elevation.

The estate is made up of a patchwork of small plots, with vines as much as 120 years old – which, planted on clay and limestone soils, give low yields of superlative fruit.

The resulting Monte Real wines exemplify Tempranillo, with explosions of ripe plum and blackberry flavours, interlaced with delicate tones of chocolate and liquorice.

Contemporary creations

But Bodegas Riojanas isn’t resting on its laurels. In 2023, as well as launching its first completely organic wine, the winery gained Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection certification, the highest level of accreditation available from the Spanish Wine Federation. The winery continues to implement new green initiatives, and generates nearly half of the energy used at Cenicero from its own solar panels.

With Santiago Frías at the helm – the fifth generation of the family to lead the business – Bodegas Riojanas is innovating and launching new collections. The Monte Real Vanguardia range encompasses four contemporary expressions from long-established vineyards: Cuvée, a blend of Tempranillo and spicy Graciano; a varietal Garnacha; a white Tempranillo Blanco; and a truly special old-vine expression, Cepas Viejas.

Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Tinto Crianza Cuveé

Bodegas Riojanas’ Monte Real Cuveé

The Vanguardia range has recently been joined by the Gabriel Larrendant Collection, created in the winemaker’s honour. Larrendant’s skill was in recognising the exact character of each plot – and to produce this collection, today’s chief winemaker Emilio Sojo was guided by the same ethos.

For the Monte Real Tempranillo Blanco, he chose two vineyards in Rioja Alta: Los Campillos in Cenicero and Camino Arenzana in the town of Tricio. Their complementary attributes combine to produce a white Reserva of complexity and elegance.

Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Larrendant Collection Blanco Gran Reserva

Bodegas Riojanas’ Monte Real Larrendant Collection Gran Reserva

For the other white wine in the Larrendant Collection, Sojo selected two north-facing vineyards in the El Monte estate planted in 1973. The Viura and Malvasia from these vineyards have the acidity needed for longevity, resulting in a wonderfully complex aged white: Monte Real Gran Reserva.

Fresh expressions of the oldest tradition

Last year, Bodegas Riojanas unveiled La Galería, a space where the team are taking even more imaginative approaches to winemaking. There, you’ll find them using creative techniques, using stoneware amphorae and huge containers made of cocciopesto, an ancient – and sustainable – form of concrete used in Ancient Rome. Adventurous wine lovers can book tours of La Galería, complete with tastings and food pairings.