The Monte Xanic Estate
- Monte Xanic is heralded as the first boutique winery in Mexico, established in 1988. The story goes that this move, (and Monte Xanic's subsequent success) played a major role in starting a trend towards grape farmers making wine from their own grapes rather than raising grapes for sale.
- With a large quantity of land under vine in all the major wine growing valleys of the region, they are by far the most prolific of the boutique wineries in the region.
- Their vineyard sites are farmed sustainably, and their winery operates as a model of modern ecofriendly design.
- The estate weds advanced technology with old world wisdom, such as harvesting all their white grapes by hand at night in order to maintain maximum freshness and acidity.
- The "X" in Xanic is pronounced like a "sh", so Xanic sounds like "shan-eek". Xanic is the name of the white flower that is one of the first to bloom in spring in Valle de Guadalupe. When the spring rains are just right, the mountainside behind the winery is cloaked in their blooms.
Total production: 18 wines, 100,000 cases
2023 Cabernet Sauvignon - Monte Xanic
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Showing increasing polish with the fruit coming in from the estate’s high elevation Valle de Ojos Negros vines, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is another knockout from this leading estate from Mexico. This vintage spent a little less time in oak and the balance between acidity, presence of fruit and evidence of barrel aging is more nuanced and integrated than previous vintages = more ready to drink in its youth, but also better built for the long haul. Drink this as soon as you receive it or forget it for a decade and delight in its development in the bottle.
Drinking window: Upon release - 15 years
Vintage:
2023
Blend:
100% Cabernet
Producer:
Monte Xanic
Winemaker:
Oscar Gaona - Mexican, lives in Valle de Guadalupe
Vineyards:
Granite and clay mix
Aging:
Hand picked from estate vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe and Valle de Ojos Negros, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in 1st use French oak for 12 months before bottling.
Farming:
Sustainable
Alcohol:
13.4%
