Monte Xanic went down in history as the Mexican winery that brought the first Premium wine to the market. But there are many other interesting things you should know about this successful Guadalupana winery.
How did Monte Xanic come about?
In 1987, Hans Backhoff, passionate about viticulture, was in the Guadalupe Valley dreaming of a project to start a wine company that would serve the fine wine market and with its own personality. He found a hill near a small lake and knew that the vineyard of his dreams would grow there.
The Coras are a Mexican indigenous people that live predominantly in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco and Durango, whose language, Cora, is currently spoken by less than 30,000 people.
One of the most poetic words in the Cora language is "xanic", which means "flower that sprouts after the first rain" and Hans Backhoff could not have adopted a better term to identify his wine house.
The Monte Xanic vineyards are located in the Guadalupano wine corridor, in the Baja California Peninsula, about 15 km from the ocean and 400 meters above sea level, an unbeatable Mediterranean environment to produce high quality noble grapes.
The business is now in the hands of Hans Backhoff Jr., who was a 10-year-old boy who accompanied his father on the tour that lucky day 30 years ago and who at that time did not imagine himself among the vineyards, but fishing in the bonito lake, dream that would also come true.
Why has Monte Xanic been so successful in the Mexican wine market?
In the three decades that have elapsed between 1987 and 2017, Monte Xanic has managed to position itself as a prestigious brand, especially in the market for young wines, of growing demand and easy consumption.
One of the measures that favor the health of the vineyard and the quality of the Monte Xanic grape is the computerized irrigation control of the vines, with sensors located in the roots, which report on humidity levels and the need for irrigation.
Another strategy applied is the collection and quality control of the water used. The water used by Monte Xanic comes from several wells in the region, but it does not go directly to the vineyard.
The water from each well is conducted separately to a lake, where the discharge into the reservoir is controlled according to the quality of each source, especially regarding the level of concentration of salts. This ensures optimum quality water for the plantation.
What are the top-class reds from Monte Xanic?
A memorable Monte Xanic success came with Gran Ricardo, a limited edition red wine of 850 cases per vintage, named in honor of a great friend of the house. This great wine, the icon of the winery, was rated with 90 points by the famous magazine Wine Enthusiast, one of the leading international magazines in the sector.
The Gran Ricardo is the result of a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, and is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. It is garnet in color with ruby tones, clean and bright.
It offers the nose fine and elegant aromas of black fruits, cassis, blueberries, violets, hibiscus, peppers, as well as hints of sweet wood, cocoa, tobacco, dairy background, cinnamon, aromatic herbs and balsamic.
It is a doomed, unctuous wine, of great volume, fresh acidity, alcoholic warmth and long persistence. Its tannins are sweet and ripe.
The Gran Ricardo is ideal to accompany fine cuts of meat, roast beef, lamb, baked loin, foie gras, game meats such as wild boar and venison, mature cheeses, salmon and stews with legumes.
To pair with Mexican food, experts particularly suggest chiles en nogada. The Great Ricardo is priced at $ 980, an investment that is well worth it, as with the Great Ricardo Magnum, as they have a storage potential of more than 20 years.
What is the Great Ricardo Magnum like?
This superb product of the emblematic Don Ricardo de Monte Xanic line has a slight variation in the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Petit Verdot grapes, which is 65/25/10 and not 63/27/10 as in the classic Gran Ricardo. The mixture is made after a rigorous tasting and evaluation process.
Like its partner, it has a storage capacity that exceeds 20 years, so the outlay of $ 2,000 in a bottle, rather than an expense, is an investment.
The Gran Ricardo Magnum is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels and offers the eyes a beautiful garnet color with ruby touches, in addition to its purity and brilliance.
Its intense and frank nose is a compendium of refined and exquisite aromas of black fruits, cherries, cassis, blueberries and violets. It has notes of sweet wood, cocoa, tobacco, dairy background, cinnamon, rosemary, vanilla, toast, pepper, clove and balsamic.
It has a soft attack on the palate and enveloping the entire palate, with fresh acidity, sweet tannins and a velvety body. Its optimal pairing is with cuts that have a complex sauce, meats with personality such as lamb, wild boar and venison, and intense cheeses.
Does Monte Xanic have lower priced reds?
One of the great successes of the house has been the Cabernet Franc Limited Edition, the first label under the main responsibility of Hans Backhoff Jr.
The Limited Edition Cabernet Franc is a smooth broth that leaves on the nose very lively aromas of strawberry and raspberry, thyme, red pepper, bay leaf, slate, young wood, balsamic and vanilla; an aromatic intensity that the heir to the Monte Xanic house attributes to the cold pre-maceration process adopted for its production.
It is cherry red in color, with purple tones, medium robe, clean and bright. On the palate it is warm vinous, with well defined tannins and fresh acidity, good balance and considerable persistence. It is very well associated with roasts, risotto with duck, kid and aged cheeses. Its price is $ 600.
In the Calixa line of wines there are two good red wines that can be bought for $ 290, the Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah and the 100% Syrah. The former has 80/20 proportions among the grapes of its name and spends 9 months in French oak barrels.
This compliant and inexpensive wine is good to accompany urban food, such as hamburgers, pizzas and pasta Bolognese, also combining with Asian food not very seasoned, poultry and pork loin.
The Calixa Syrah is a frank and perfumed wine on the nose, which on the palate feels dry and with fresh acidity, balanced and with good persistence. This nectar is particularly recommended to be paired with flank steak tacos, marinated jerky, marlin tacos and chorizo soups, among other dishes of Mexican cuisine.
Other conveniently priced labels are Monte Xanic Cabernet Blend ($ 495), Cabernet Sauvignon (420), Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (420), Merlot (420), Limited Edition Malbec (670), Limited Edition Syrah Cabernet (600 ) and the Limited Edition Syrah (600).
What can you tell me about the white wines of Monte Xanic?
Another success of Monte Xanic is the Chenin-Colombard, a label that obtained 87 points of Wine Enthusiast and which is currently available for purchase at a fantastic price of $ 215. This lime yellow wine, with greenish traces, is made with 98% Chenin Blanc and 2% Colombard
On the nose it leaves frank and intense aromas of pineapple, lime, lychee, guava, mango, green apple, banana and milky white flowers.
The Chenin-Colombard is well structured, with fresh acidity, light alcohol and remarkable persistence, and particularly leaves its tropical flavors, as well as cardamom and licorice, felt.
It is an excellent companion for ceviches, seafood, fresh cheeses, light-flavored fish, sushi, sashimi, carpaccio and salads with supreme citrus fruits. If you want to pair with traditional Mexican food, the Chenin-Colombard goes very well with pipián and white pozole.
The Monte Xanic Chenin Blanc Late Harvest is a lemon yellow wine with greenish tones. It has a fresh and intense nose, with aromas of ripe fruits, such as water pear, pineapple and mango, with lines of honey, caramel and white and milky flowers, such as orange blossom and magnolia.
In the mouth it is soft, semi-sweet and with a tender body, confirming the aromas on the palate. Mix appropriately with salads that include citrus fruits, cured cheeses, desserts such as apple cakes, crepes, vanilla ice cream, passion fruit sorbet, Catalan cream, profiteroles, mango mousse and dark chocolate, among others.
The Mount Xanic Chenin Blanc Late Harvest is priced at $ 250. Other Monte Xanic whites are Chardonnay ($ 350), Viña Kristel Sauvignon Blanc (270) and Calixa Chardonnay (250).
Is there a pink Monte Xanic?
Within the Calixa line, Monte Xanic has the Grenache, a rosé wine made 100% with this grape that requires dry and warm climates such as that of the Baja California Peninsula.
It is a wine with an attractive pomegranate color, with violet tones, very clean and crystalline. It offers freshness and intensity of aromas to the nose, with a fruity presence of strawberries, raspberries, red cherries, currant, citrus and banana, complemented by a floral range in which lilacs and violets are perceived, with an association of fennel and black liquorice.
In the mouth it feels dry, with frank acidity, alcoholic softness, good body, balanced and moderately persistent. It is a great partner for some Mexican dishes such as chiles en nogada, red pozole and tostadas de tinga.
We hope that this guide to Monte Xanic will be useful to you on your next trip to Valle de Guadalupe. See you very soon again!
Guides on Valle De Guadalupe
Complete guide to Valle De Guadalupe
The best wines of Valle De Guadalupe
