Bodega Palacios Remondo
He was born 'at home', right above his father's bodega – Álvaro Palacios, Spains star vintner. The scent of wine and barrels must have been lying in the air and thus dictated his further life. He studied oenology in Bordeaux and gathered professional experience at the Château Pétrus, and in London, Dublin, and California. Today, he owns vines in the Priorat county, in Bierzo, and at home in the Rioja, and proves his extraordinary talent with premium wines year after year.
He loves his family, motorcycles, nature, songs by Camarón, a challenge and taking risks. He seems believable when he confesses that his second calling would have been to be a 'torero', a bullfighter. He bristles with dynamism and power.
He went to Bordeaux to study oenology when he was 21 years old. The next stage saw him working at the Château Pétrus for two years. Then he returned home. His father José Palacios Remondo had built a bodega in close to Alfaro in 1948 following a family tradition dating back to 1651. However, Álvaro felt constricted upon his return. In 1989, he was pulled towards the abandoned Priorat, where his first resounding success would take place shortly. He was restless to hurry to the next challenge in Bierzo, where he prompted the next furore. His international reputation as a star winegrower had already been established when his father died in 2000. This marked the right moment to return home – his birthplace.
White wines from Bodega Palacios Remondo
Red wines from Bodega Palacios Remondo
from Bodega Palacios Remondo
The parental estate encompassing about 150 hectares in total is situated in the Rioja Baja, to the west of Alfaro. Álvaro mainly builds on Garnacha instead of Tempranillo, as it reaches its full potential on the rocky, ferrous quartziferous lime soil. The winters are very cold and the summers can get extremely hot. Here, the precipitation is just about half that of the Rioja Alta. About 110 hectares comprise the site of La Montesa hillside of the Monte Yerga. The Tempranillo prospers on the higher and cooler slopes, while the Garnacha feels at home at lower altitudes. Near the La Montesa site one can find the Viura vine stocks used for the Plácet circling a little magazine. The parcel is called Valtomelloso. With its 40- to 70-year-old vine stocks, the site Propiedad comprises about 10 hectares divided into 5 parcels situated about 600 meters above sea level. They are stocked exclusively with Garnacha. In 2014, an entirely a new vineyard consisting of Garnacha, Viura and Monsatrell mixed was planted as it used to in the past. The idea: A Rioja wine with the quality of a Grand cru! We can be excited for its first vintage.
At home, Álvaro has also been crowned by success, having received numerous awards and consistently high ratings. His talent, his intuition and his untiring inventiveness have enabled him to elevate his parental estate to the top of international wines.
Producer
Château Biac
Sometimes life is full of surprises. The Lebanese Asseily family experienced this first-hand when they became the owners of Château Biac as if by accident in 2006. They regularly spent their summer holidays near Biac, but never would they have dreamt that they would own and manage this wonderful property themselves one day. It’s a fascinating story that Tony and Youmna Asseily are happy to share over a glass of their wine.
Erwin Tinhof
For 11 generations now, the Tinhof family has been growing wine in Eisenstadt on the Leitha Range in Burgenland. This constellation is the source of their knowledge and experience as to which grape varieties flourish particularly well in this location, allowing the production of wines characteristic for the area. Neuburger, Pinot Blanc and Blaufränkisch, Sankt Laurent, some on vines established 55 years ago – are the focus of their expertise.
Champagne André Clouet
We didn’t find the low house, dating from the 17th century, straight away, even though the village of Bouzy is not very large. Modest buildings are grouped around a courtyard, behind which a vineyard lies, similar to a clos.