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
2022 Calixa Blend - Monte Xanic
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Holding to the same blend as the previous vintage, this Tempranillo, CabSauv, Merlot presents a lovely balanced nose of fruit and spice that leads into a “zipper” of a wine on the palate. Fresh and clean with high-toned bright red fruits, this is certainly the most energetic Calixa Blend to date. Meant to deliver pleasure upon release and for the next few years, don’t waste time getting into this one but don’t fret if you buy a case and hold on to them for a while. Drink as a sophisticated sipper or as a casual food pairing.
Drinking window: upon release - 6 years
Vintage:
2022
Blend:
40% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot
Producer:
Monte Xanic
Winemaker:
Oscar Gaona - Mexican, lives in Valle de Guadalupe
Vineyards:
Granite and clay mix
Aging:
Fermented in stainless steel and aged in neutral French oak for 9 months
Framing:
Oragnic, sustainable
Alcohol:
13.8%
