Bodegas y Viñedos Montecastro

Montecastro came into being in the year 2000, resulting from the passion of friends who turned their dream into reality: producing a quality wine straight from the heart of the Ribera del Duero. With this idea taking root, in 2002 they planted 27 ha of vineyards and built a modern winery in perfect harmony with the natural environment, designed by the architect Roberto Valle. At the beginning, the project relied upon the invaluable advice of the French winemaker, Bertrand Erhard.

Montecastro wines were very well received on the market right from the start: powerful yet rounded, easy to drink and with a pleasant Bordeaux touch, they attracted the attention of not only consumers but the eminent experts too. Consequently, in 2014, Hacienda Monasterio became the main shareholder in Montecastro and the role of technical director passed into the hands of Carlos de la Fuente, a distinguished Ribera del Duero connoisseur and a winemaker regarded today as Peter Sisseck's right-hand man.

One of the principal assets of Montecastro is the elevated position of its vineyards, at an altitude ranking among the Ribera del Duero's highest, lying at between 860 and 923 metres, a location which bestows greater freshness on the wines since it protects the grapes from the heat and allows them to ripen more slowly. The vineyards are distributed among 8 parcels and 5 single estates, and the vines are planted on soils of varying composition, predominantly calcareous, and with high density plantation that favours low yields.

The varieties planted are Tempranillo (or Tinto Fino) primarily (90% of the vines), but also Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The vineyards are in the process of being converted to organic farming and practising a viticulture that shows a deep respect for Nature, with the minimum use possible of treatments, always preventative and without using any herbicides or chemical products.

Wine-making procedures feature the utilisation of concrete tanks in production and in the ageing process the use of both new barrels and those previously used for one wine (mainly, 80%, made of French oak). The result is a fresh and very elegant range of wines.