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 Merlot - Monte Xanic
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Hot on the heels of a standout vintage, Winemaker Oscar Gaona is back at it with the 2023—still tinkering, still chasing perfection, and clearly having a good time doing it. Multiple picks, stricter pruning, and a ruthless eye at selection all make their mark here, while a cooler, wetter spring stretched the season just enough to build extra nuance and poise.
After 13 months in seasoned French oak (nothing flashy, just smart), this Cabernet-based blend lands exactly where you want it: vivid, polished, and effortlessly balanced—where richness meets lift, and power knows when to behave.
5,800 cases made
Drinking window: Upon release - 10 years
Vintage:
2023
Blend:
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot
Producer:
Monte Xanic
Winemaker:
Oscar Gaona - Mexican, lives in Valle de Guadalupe
Vineyards:
Valle de Guadalupe – Ole and Monte Xanic vineyards, elevation are roughly equal at 1,000 ft in soil of granite, lime and sand.
Valle de Ojos Negros – Viña Alta and Ojos Negros vineyards, planted in 2013 at an elevation of 1,800 ft in soils of granite mixed with clay.
Aging:
Using his multiple harvest technique to make as wine with balanced ripeness and acidity, grapes were harvested between the September 15th and 15th of October, with each batch fermented and vinified separately and final blending not occurring until just before bottling. After fermentation was complete, the wine was racked off the lees and left to age in French oak barrels of 2nd and 3rd use for 12 months. Only 35 ppm added at bottling.
Farming:
Sustainable, organic
Alcohol:
13.4%
