J. Palacios Remondo
He was born «at home», above his father’s bodega – Álvaro Palacios, Spain’s star winemaker. The scent of wine and barrels was surely in the air and shaped the rest of his life. He studied oenology in Bordeaux and gained professional experience at Château Pétrus, in London, Dublin and California. Today, he owns vineyards in Priorat, Bierzo and back home in La Rioja, and year after year he demonstrates his extraordinary talent with top-quality wines.
He loves his family, motorbikes, nature, Camarón’s songs, a challenge and taking risks. You immediately take him at his word when he admits that his second calling was to be a ‘torero’ – a bullfighter. He exudes dynamism and strength. At the age of 21, he went to Bordeaux to study oenology. The next stage was a two-year position at Château Pétrus.
Sometimes you have to leave before you can truly come home. Álvaro’s father, José Palacios, had built the winery in Alfaro in the mid-1940s and made it a success. The family’s winemaking tradition dates back to the 17th century. For Álvaro, there was never any question that he would carry on the tradition – even though he initially did so as a winemaker in Priorat. When his father died in 2000, the family asked him to take charge of the winery in La Rioja as well. And so he suddenly found himself back in his old home, albeit with a whole new vision.
White wines from J. Palacios Remondo
Red wines from J. Palacios Remondo
from J. Palacios Remondo
Rioja Oriental forms the eastern part of the renowned Rioja wine region. Although this area, with around 25,000 hectares of vineyards, accounts for more than a third of the total vineyard area, it is one of the least well-known parts of the region. The famous wineries and iconic landmarks of Rioja are predominantly located further to the north-west, around Haro and Logroño. The winemaking tradition here also differs significantly from that of the rest of Rioja. Whilst the region is often associated with the Tempranillo grape variety, this applies primarily to the Rioja Alta along the River Ebro. In Rioja Oriental, by contrast, the terroir is shaped by the influence of the Mediterranean. The soils are warmer, whilst the vineyards are situated at altitudes of between 400 and 700 metres above sea level. Winters are very cold, summers can be extremely hot at times, and rainfall is only about half that of the Rioja Alta. These unique conditions are due to the Iberian Mountains, which run through the southern part of the Rioja. This mountain range is considered the cradle of Garnacha and continues to have a decisive influence on viticulture in the Rioja Oriental to this day. The grape variety finds ideal conditions here and lends the wines their characteristic expression. The La Montesa vineyard covers around 110 hectares on the slopes of Monte Yerga. At the heart of this vineyard lies the Valtomelloso plot, where Viura vines are planted around a small wine storehouse.
Álvaro Palacios had already achieved great success with Garnacha in the Priorat. Following his return to the Rioja in 2000, he consistently focused on this grape variety and had numerous vineyards newly planted or grafted with Garnacha. For him, it is the «Queen of the Rioja Oriental». Traditionally, it is blended with old regional varieties such as Bobal, Moristel, Viura and Garnacha Roya, which lend the wines additional harmony, vibrancy and expressiveness.
A prime example of Álvaro’s philosophy is Finca La Montesa, with its characteristic red clay soils. Equally exceptional is the single vineyard site Quiñón de Valmira on Monte Yerga, at an altitude of 616 metres. Cool winds, traditional bush-trained vines and limestone-rich soils provide the foundation here for wines of exceptional finesse and depth. Whilst the Crianza impresses with its character, the Reserva delights with its warmth, complexity and elegance.
Today, Alfaro is the headquarters of Álvaro Palacios’s businesses. The family lives here, including his daughter Lola, who has been working alongside her father since 2024. That doesn’t mean Álvaro is settled, though. Always on the road, he divides his time between La Rioja, Priorat and El Bierzo. Yet Alfaro is, and always will be, his home.
Producer
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