Castillo de Monjardin

Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin is located in the North-West of Navarra in the foothills of the Pyrenees, 20 minutes west of Pamplona. The eponymous ‘old castle’, now a ruin, sits atop the hill behind the winery and was very important in the 12th century, as a defensive fort for Navarra’s King Sancho Garces. Today it is part of the famous pilgrimage route from Paris to Santiago de Campostella, with wine available for thirsty pilgrims as they pass through. Navarra’s proximity and historic cultural links to France provide a winemaking tradition based on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot, distinct from the more traditional reliance on Tempranillo and Garnacha found in the rest of Spain. In the 1980s it was Navarra more than anywhere else in Spain that pioneered modern winemaking techniques. Victor del Villar, with his wife Sonia Olano, established his vineyards and winery at this time, around his home village of Villamayor de Monjardin. The expanding business now has their son, also Victor, at the helm. Spending three years at University College, Dublin gave Victor a grasp of English which made stints at Californian and Australian wineries much more valuable. Skills and techniques learnt there are now producing clean, pure modern wines at Castillo de Monjardin.