Monte Ducay is a very unique, exclusive terroir in the Cariñena winegrowing region. Following a process of disentailment it was publicly owned before passing into private hands and being sold off in plots. All that remains from this landowner is his surname (Ducay) and the memory that one of his friends, the Aragonese intellectual Joaquín Costa, accompanied him when the ground was first ploughed up and turned into farmland.
It consists of very deep stony soil, which is what gives it its personality. The stones have a dual function: they allow the water to filter through to the lower layers of earth rather than building up on the surface, with the subsequent risk of disease, and remain underneath the soil for a greater length of time. At the same time, the stones accumulate heat from the sun and then give it out at night, creating a microclimate which is very specific to the region.
The fruit on the vines in this area ripens less than in other places and the grapes are smaller in size. This means there is a higher concentration of components (with less water) which is later transferred to the wines. These have very intense aromas and heightened levels of what is known in the wine industry as ‘expressiveness’. In 1969 Bodegas San Valero created their Monte Ducay range to identify their best wines, which has subsequently been extended with the inclusion of a selection of other wines.
History of the brand
BSV initially marketed its wines in bulk, but in 1957 it started to study the possibility of installing a bottling plant, which would finally be implanted in 1962. It was the first industrial bottling plant for wine in Aragon and the second in Spain.
However, several years were to pass before the first bottle was filled with wine of its own label, Don Mendo (1968), which would become the best known brand in Spain. One year later, so as to draw attention to its fine wines, which were also made at the winery, it was decided to create the Monte Ducay brand, which for a long time and until the incorporation of new products, was BSV’s benchmark for quality and the emblem of the cooperative.
Just as Don Mendo was bottled in litres (marketed for mass consumption), right from the beginning Monte Ducay was sold in three quarters and three eighths of a litre bottles.
It has always been a large family, with young products (white, rosé and red wines) and crianza (wine aged for a minimum of one year in an oak barrel, followed by a few months in the bottle, or six months in the barrel in the case of white wine), reserve (aged for at least three years, with a minimum of one year in oak barrels, or one year in the barrel and a further six months in the bottle in the case of white wine) and gran reserva (wines with an ageing process of at least two years in oak barrels, followed by a further three years in the bottle, or a minimum of four years in the case of white wine, with at least one year ageing in the barrel), with some of these vintages being absolutely mythical, like the one harvested in 1970.
Leadership and international presence
Monte Ducay is a wide range of young, crianza, reserva and gran reserva wines aged in oak barrels that are made with the utmost of care. Young wines are fresh, flavoursome and elegant, whereas crianza wines are nursed along unhurriedly, without any rush, with oak, bottle and time being their greatest allies.
Monte Ducay red wine
This young, aromatic, tasty red wine combines the best of the three varieties of grape, making it the perfect companion for any meal featuring roast dishes, white meat and grilled sausages.
Monte Ducay oak-aged wine
Ageing in American oak barrels gives this wine its own intensity reminiscent of the most elegant, well-balanced red.
An exceptional combination of red Garnacha and Syrah grapes leave an unrepeatable sensation on the palate.
Monte Ducay crianza
The perfect combination of the three varieties red Garnacha, Merlot and Syrah, together with ageing in American oak barrels, make this an exceptional vintage wine that is elegant, flavoursome and well balanced.
The best option when accompanied by game and red meat.
Monte Ducay reserva pergamino
This reserva wine is synonymous with high quality and the winery’s social commitment.
The mix of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, together with its long ageing process, give this red wine its unique characteristics upgrading it to the level of an excellent wine.