Castillo de Monjardin

Castillo Monjardin is a beautiful, innovative bodega located in San Esteban, a zone of Tierra Estella in the DO Navarra. The winery is most famous for its cask fermented Chardonnays and Merlots. Castillo Monjardin has a vast 120 ha spread of single vineyards positioned on slopes to make the best of the climate. Their unique microclimate lies at an altitude of 600 meters giving their wines powerful fragrance and depth. Located on the vineyard is a 4000 sq meter gorgeous wine cellar. It is sectioned off within the slope to allow correct temperature conditioning for each level of the process. Grapes are picked with great care through mechanical harvesting. Chardonnay grapes are specifically picked at night because of the cooler temperatures.

White grapes are put directly from picking into a closed pneumatic press. This 8 hr process is constantly rotating, allowing the grapes to be pressed naturally by their own weight, hopefully leaving unripe grapes intact. This process was invented by Castillo de Monjardin and only produces 50% yield-free-run juices. Most of the white grape must is used for Chardonnay, fermented in stainless steel vats, and then fined in bottle before it is aged in oak barrels. Red wines are produced using the Bordeaux method. After the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, they enter a long fermentation process followed by malo-lactic fermentation in stainless steel. Then, depending on the varietal and vintage, they are separated by young and Crianza and Reservas to be sent to age in oak casks.

Navarra is a fascinating wine region to visit and can easily be combined with a vacation in La Rioja. Top attractions in Navarra wine country include the historic towns of Olite (with its fairy tale castle), Puente la Reina (with its 10th-century bridge) and Pamplona (where they hold the “Running of the Bulls”), and of course, the wonderful wineries of Castillo de Monjardin, Guelbenzu, Chivite, Ochoa and Monasterio de Irache to name a few.