top of page
Special Edition Huichol 2021 Gran Ricardo - Monte Xanic

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

Special Edition Huichol 2021 Gran Ricardo - Monte Xanic

$489.99Price
  • Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:

    The tasting note below applies to the 2021 vintage in general, but what makes this bottle special is the Huichol artwork which adorns the bottle. This is the second time Monte Xanic has partnered with Huichol (aka Wixárika) artists to make a special edition limited release. In the 2021 vintage 300 bottles were made and only 6 were released to the US. A collaboration originally envisioned celebrate the pinnacle of Monte Xanic alongside the impossibly high level and fastidious artform derived from the region’s own indigenous Wixárika, both the artists and the winery took it to the next level with this iteration. From a design point of view, the artwork of this vintage was far more difficult to complete than the 2020 and took over twice as long to finish per bottle. From a winemaking standpoint, Monte Xanic has never before implemented such high standards of pruning, selection and vinification in the Gran Ricardo line or any other for that matter. The end result is a double masterpiece that will dazzle on every level. Just 6 bottles were released to the US and we received 4 of them. Each bottle comes in its own wooden box, and each is the work of a single artist.  Each bead was placed by hand in to a mesmerizing pattern of shapes and colors. The wine itself will age well, but the artwork on the bottle is a timeless collector’s piece . No two bottles exactly alike. The price reflects the many hours required by each artist to place each of the miniscule beads by hand. Truly remarkable creations by one of Mexico's great treasures - The Wixárika.

    General Tasting note for the 2021 vintage: This is the next step in the evolution of the wines of Monte Xanic, which has been pushing the threshold of quality since winemaker Oscar Gaona (formerly of Casa Madero) took the helm at the end of the 2018 vintage. The 2021 shows the command he now has over the fruit at his disposal and his ability to use it to target an ultra-premium red blend. Really a Bordeaux look-alike, this is approachable upon release but will deeply reward those that choose to cellar it for a decade or so. It appears all is onward and upward for one of Mexico’s top estates.

    300 bottles made. Only 6 bottles allocated to the US.

    Drinking window: Upon release (with decant) - 15 years

  • Vintage:

    2021

  • Blend:

    55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

  • Producer:

    Monte Xanic 

  • Winemaker:

    Oscar Gaona - Mexican, lives in Valle de Guadalupe

  • Vineyards:

    Granite and clay mix 

  • Aging:

    Fermented and aged in 1st use French oak barrels

  • Farming:

    Sustainable

  • Alcohol:

    13.9%

bottom of page