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Tina and Brett
Winery Rating
Located at:
Francisco Zarco S/N Col, 22758 Francisco Zarco (Valle de Guadalupe), B.C., Mexico
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
Do you have a go-to wine-tasting room that you can count on to deliver great wines great service, and you know that when you visit there, you’re guaranteed to leave happy? That’s how we feel about Monte Xanic and winemaker Oscar Gaona’s wines.
The experience at this Baja winery couldn’t be more consumer-friendly. They offer three distinct tastings that can be customized (just ask), outstanding views, and the wines can stand up to the best wines from California and Europe.
The name Monte Xanic, which is pronounced: ‘Mon Tee Shan Eek,’ is a blend of the indigenous Cora language and Spanish. Monte is Spanish for: “little mountain.” Xanic translates to “flower that blooms after the first rains.” In fact, the logo on the bottle references this imagery.
A quick note: this post is all about Valle de Guadalupe’s Monte Xanic’s Winery, Tasting Room, and Wine Club. If you’re looking for more in-depth information about the history of Baja’s Monte Xanic, then head over to this post that covers Our Favorite Wine of 2023: 2021 Monte Xanic Edicion Limitada Cabernet Franc, which includes the founder’s story and how and why Monte Xanic was created.
Let’s start with the outside seating area at the winery because this is likely where you will sit and sip your wines.
The alfresco tasting area at Monte Xanic is shaded with comfortable furniture, and, of course, you’ve got an undisturbed view of the vineyards and the mountains. You can also venture down to the lake and do a tasting right by the water. Everything about the guest experience here appears so carefully planned out and invites return trips!
And we haven’t even talked about the indoor Wine Library. Your jaw will drop when you enter this room. When we imagine our dream wine storage room, this is what pops into our heads. Take a look at our pictures; this room is immaculate.
When you go wine tasting, it can sometimes be a bit of a drag to find just one tasting option, especially when the brand has a large portfolio of wines. One tasting option also does not necessarily incentivize wine lovers to immediately return to try more wines.
Having said that our most loved features of the tasting experience at Monte Xanic is the fact that they:
While you do need to make reservations in advance and choose one of the three tasting options below, upon arrival, we found that we were given the option to make any changes we wanted once we were seated. We ended up combining several tastings and sharing so that we could taste the most wine.
Classic Monte Xanic Tasting – $30
Includes four flagship wines, a tour of the winery, pairing recommendations, and an overview of the winemaking philosophy.
Discover Monte Xanic Tasting – $35
A deeper dive into the wines of Monte Xanic, which also includes everything offered in the classic tasting experience.
Gold Medal Winners Tasting – $40
Monte Xanic is the most decorated winery not just in Valle de Guadalupe but in the entire country of Mexico. With over 80 gold medal wines, this brand has a lot to be proud of. The Gold Medal Winner’s Tasting allows guests to sample three of these acclaimed wines.
2022 Monte Xanic, Chenin Blanc / Colombard, $18
The 2022 Monte Xanic Chenin Blanc / Colombard blend is Chenin Blanc 98% French Colombard 2%. This wine is pale gold, and the nose has plenty of aromatics with inviting scents of apple, stone fruits, and pear. On the palate, this wine has a balanced richness but also mineral complexity. We found layers of crunchy apple, hints of butter (could even call this apple butter with the mouthfeel), and a lively lime acidity. The low ABV makes this a great summer sipper.
2022 Monte Xanic Sauvignon Blanc, $24.00
The 2022 Monte Xanic Sauvignon Blanc is a pale lemon color with a classic Sauv Blanc nose that includes notes of peach, apple, lemon, wet gravel, green pepper, and celery. The palate is pronounced and ripe with buttery lemon, peach, apple, and moderate wet gravel. This bottling has a nice acidity and elegant complexity that we absolutely loved! This is a stellar example of this French grape from winemaker Oscar Gaona.
2022 Monte Xanic Grenache Rosé, $24
The 2022 Monte Xanic Grenache Rosé is a beautiful pale salmon color with crystal-clear clarity. We found pleasant aromas of ripe peach, earth, stone fruits, and strawberries and a palate zippy lemon, lush strawberries, peach, gravel, and cream. A nice, high-acid, dry rose, but not quite as memorable as the other samples in the tasting.
2021 Monte Xanic Cabernet Sauvignon, $34
The 2021 Monte Xanic Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich purple in the glass. Aromas of cedar, tobacco, stewed plum, and cooked fruit create an intense bouquet. The palate reveals a tantalizing mix of black fruit, spice, and leather. More precisely, we picked up flavors of black cherry, black currant, cedar, leather, tobacco, licorice, and mint. A very nice Cabernet Sauvignon, especially for this price.
2021 Monte Xanic Seleccion, $38
The 2021 Monte Xanic Seleccion is a Bordeaux blend of 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot. Aromas of cigar box, petrol, dark fruit, oak, and pepper are complemented by similar notes on the palate. Expressive fruit and spice, high tannins, and an unexpected note of olive create a complex flavor profile. A good wine, but not our favorite red wine of the bunch. That honor goes to the wine below!
2021 Monte Xanic Edicion Limitada Cabernet Franc, $55
We loved everything about this Cabernet Franc, from the wine’s ruby color to the aromas of strawberry, bell pepper, and subtle jalapeño. The palate is layered and incredibly complex. Elements of herbaceous oregano and delicate violet mingle with aged leather. White pepper, cherry, and bell pepper are complemented by hints of olive, grass, and leather.
The Monte Xanic Cabernet Franc from the Edicion Limitada collection is pure elegance.
2021 Monte Xanic Edicion Limitada Malbec, $55
The 2021 Monte Xanic Edicion Limitada Malbec is a wine with depth and personality. A deep ruby color in the glass, this wine offers aromas of dark pitted fruit, including black cherry and plum, as well as rich oak, cigar, milk chocolate, and vanilla. The palate reflects the nose with more pronounced notes of black cherry, raspberry, black pepper, leather, milk chocolate, and oak. This is a nice wine with a long and satisfying finish.
2021 Monte Xanic Gran Ricardo, $97
Considered one of Monte Xanic’s ultra-premium wines, the 2021 Monte Xanic Gran Ricardo, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot from vineyards in Guadalupe and Ojos Negros that also happen to be some of the oldest vines in the region. Aging the wine in French oak barrels for 18 months plays a big role in the profile of this wine. The bouquet unveils aromas of sweet cherry, black and green pepper, dark chocolate, and honeycomb. On the palate, we found lovely notes of soft vanilla, black cherry, licorice, black pepper, olive, plum, and oak.
Our instinct is that the tasting room isn’t the best venue to experience the full breadth of the bottling, so we purchased a few bottles and plan to decant the wine and re-taste it. Stay tuned for a deeper dive into what we think will be an exceptional wine.
The winery has two club levels, and both are free with no commitment. You are rewarded by the amount of money you spend at the winery on bottles of wine and tasting experiences.
The Classic Level doesn’t really qualify for a wine club; in our book, it’s more like signing up for an email list or newsletter. In order to get the true member club experience, with discounts on bottles, you must sign up for the Premium Level and spend around $400 a year.
Here is a quick rundown of what’s on offer for Club Members at Monte Xanic.
CLASSIC LEVEL
Basically, just give them an email address, and away you go:
PREMIUM LEVEL
Access this level by leaving your information and accumulating an annual purchase of $7,000 pesos (About $400 USD).
We cannot say enough good things about visiting Monte Xanic and their wines. Their Valle de Guadalupe tasting room is one of the best tasting rooms and winery experiences in Baja. And they definitely have the best wines.
The staff is accommodating staff. The grounds exude that classic Mexican style, and the tour was informative but relaxing. You should absolutely add Monte Xanic to your list of tasting rooms in Mexico.
