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
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (HALF BOTTLE) - Monte Xanic
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
From Monte Xanic's classic line, this is a Cabernet Merlot blend aged for 12 months in French oak. Full-bodied and structured but tempered and with round silky edges thanks to the Merlot, this wine can easily stand alone or pair well with food.
Drinking window: Now - 7 years
Vintage:
2017
Blend:
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot
Producer:
Monte Xanic
Winemaker:
Christina Pino - Spanish born, now a Mexican citizen
Vineyards:
Granite and clay mix
Aging:
Aged in 1st use French oak for 12 months
Farming:
Sustainable
Alcohol:
13.9%
