Jose de las Heras
A gargantuan 900 metres above sea-level, in the sleepy village of Pesquera de Duero, lie the luscious vines of Montelaguna. With most vineyards in Ribera del Duero average at 740 metres above sea-level, Montelaguna is a literal cut above the rest. Rekindling an old friendship and combining a shared passion for winemaking are the foundations upon which Montelaguna was built. Jose de las Heras started the vineyard in 2005, inviting his childhood friend and well-known Spanish wine consultant Juan Ayuso to join him in creating a collection of fresh, balanced wines. There are no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers used on the 300-hectare estate. What’s more, the comrades do not use foreign yeasts, bacteria or enzymes of any description during fermentation, preferring to keep the process as natural as possible.