Monte Xanic

In 1987, five friends — Hans Backhoff Escudero, Manuel Castro Limón, Tomás Fernández, Eric Hagsater, and Ricardo Hojel — founded Monte Xanic with a single ambition: to make the best wine in Mexico, regardless of cost. The name Xanic came from Hagsater's daughter, whose name means 'flower that blooms after the first rain' in the Cora language. The founding was a genuine risk; Mexico had just opened its market to foreign wine imports, and most consumers doubted the country could produce quality wine. The winery's early success not only silenced those doubts but prompted established producers such as Domecq, L.A. Cetto, and Santo Tomás to invest in premium labels of their own, and attracted a wave of new winemakers to the valley.

• Xanic is the name of co-founder Eric Hagsater's daughter; in the Cora language it means 'the flower that blooms after the first rain'
• First harvest in 1988 yielded 6,200 cases of Chenin Colombard and 1,200 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon; wines reached market in 1989
• Hans Backhoff Escudero held a doctorate in Food Science from the University of Nottingham and served as the winery's oenologist from founding until his death in August 2017, ten days after celebrating the winery's 30th anniversary

The Valle de Guadalupe sits 30 km northeast of Ensenada and approximately 100 km south of the U.S. border. Monte Xanic's main estate is on the Francisco Zarco road in the northern end of the valley, in a Mediterranean-type microclimate roughly 21 km inland and between 300 and 400 meters above sea level, separated from the Pacific Ocean by a low coastal range of mountains. The granite-based soils provide good drainage and impart a mineral quality to the wines, though the arid conditions can stress the vines. The winery has also invested heavily in the neighboring Valle de Ojos Negros, where higher elevation and a cooler climate favor white grapes and varieties such as Pinot Noir.

• Six estate properties are divided between Valle de Guadalupe and Valle de Ojos Negros, totaling approximately 100 hectares of vines
• Vineyard elevations range from 950 to 1,050 feet in Valle de Guadalupe and reach 1,800 feet in Valle de Ojos Negros; soils throughout are a mix of granite, clay, and decomposed sandstone
• Valle de Guadalupe accounts for an estimated 85 percent of all Mexican wine production, and the valley now hosts well over 100 commercial wineries

Monte Xanic produces approximately 60,000 cases annually under four labels: Gran Ricardo, Ediciones Limitadas, Monte Xanic, and Calixa. The Gran Ricardo is a Bordeaux-style red blend, first produced in 1994, aged 18 months in new French oak following a five-day pre-fermentation cold maceration and eight days of post-fermentation maceration; it is capable of evolving for 25 years or more. The Calixa range uses older French oak barrels no longer suited to Gran Ricardo and focuses on approachable, fruit-forward styles. Main grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, and Chardonnay.

• Gran Ricardo, first produced in 1994, is a hand-harvested, berry-selected Bordeaux blend aged 18 months in new French oak; all grapes are sourced from Valle de Guadalupe and Ojos Negros
• Calixa is the entry-level line using seasoned French oak; current blends include a Cabernet-Syrah and a multi-variety Blend Ensamble Especial
• Ediciones Limitadas are small-production, winemaker-driven wines highlighting single varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Nebbiolo
• White grapes are harvested by hand at night to preserve acidity and freshness, a technique pioneered at Monte Xanic in the valley

Monte Xanic's first competition medals were won in Los Angeles in 1988, one gold and one silver. By the time of founding winemaker Hans Backhoff Escudero's death in 2017, the winery had accumulated over 260 medals in international competitions in the United States, France, Portugal, and Belgium, among others. In 2014, Backhoff was named one of the five best oenologists of the year at the Wine Masters Challenge in Estoril, Portugal. The Viña Kristel Sauvignon Blanc, named after Backhoff's youngest daughter Kristel, appears on the wine list of The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Gran Ricardo has won gold medals at the Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux.

• First medals won at Los Angeles in 1988: one gold, one silver; over 260 international medals accumulated through 2017
• Backhoff named one of five oenologists of the year at the Wine Masters Challenge 2014, Estoril, Portugal
• Viña Kristel Sauvignon Blanc sourced from 50-year-old vines on the single Kristel vineyard; appears on the wine list of The French Laundry
• In 2021, Gran Ricardo became the best-selling ultra-premium wine in Mexico, the first Mexican wine ever to lead that category

Monte Xanic has consistently prioritized technology and research alongside traditional winemaking. The production facility functions in part as a research center, with a biochemical engineering team focused on quality at every stage. The winery pioneered night harvesting of white grapes in the valley, a technique now widely adopted. As drought conditions have intensified in Baja California, Monte Xanic invested in a desalination plant to secure water quality for its vines. In January 2017 the company received ISO 9001 certification for its harvesting and production processes, and in 2014 upgraded all winery machinery. Óscar Gaona joined as oenologist in 2018 and has continued to refine the winery's approach to both viticulture and cellar work.

• Pioneered night harvesting of white grapes in Valle de Guadalupe to preserve acidity; also introduced micro-oxygenation (MOX) and a UC Davis-designed irrigation system to optimize water use
• Received ISO 9001 certification in January 2017 for harvesting and wine production processes
• Invested in a desalination plant to address drought-driven water scarcity in Baja California
• Hans Backhoff Guerrero (son of the founder) became general director in 2008 and has overseen continued modernization of the product line

The original Monte Xanic estate on Francisco Zarco road is the public-facing heart of the winery, housing the production facility, a barrel-aging cellar excavated with dynamite, and an artificial lake used for water quality management. A theatre beside the lake hosts concerts and cultural events. Tours began in 2014 following a major remodeling of the facilities. The estate welcomes roughly 34,000 visitors per year, approximately 40 percent of whom travel from the United States. Group tours are limited in size to allow for more personal attention, and lakeside tastings on the wooden dock offer a serene introduction to the wines.

• Main facility contains production rooms, an underground barrel cellar excavated by dynamite, and an artificial lake with a lakeside theatre
• Approximately 34,000 visitors per year; 40 percent are American, reflecting the winery's proximity to the California border
• Tours and tastings launched in 2014 after a full facility remodel; group sizes are limited to provide individual attention