winery

Bodegas Máximo Abete

Spain

Philosophy

Mountain-sourced old vines from the Sierra de Guerinda, emphasizing native yeasts and minimal intervention. The house champions Garnacha through stainless steel or concrete fermentation with judicious French oak aging, articulating terroir through aromatic mountain herbs—thyme, rosemary, lavender—that infuse its distinctive savory profile.

Reputation

Máximo Abete founded this small family winery in the Baja Montaña hills of Navarra during the 1990s, after decades of selling fruit to the local cooperative. He reclaimed the abandoned family vineyards in the Guerinda Mountains at 700 metres altitude, convinced of their potential despite local skepticism. Today, his daughters Yoanna and María, together with Juanma Lerga, continue the project with the same mountain conviction.

AllocationVineyard hectares: discrepancy noted—Spanish Wine Lover cites 22 ha, i-WineReview cites 25 ha estate parcels. Used 25 ha (i-WineReview, Sept 2025, more recent). Production ~100,000 bottles verified from multiple sources. Organic certification confirmed for 2016 onward; not certified biodynamic. Founded ~1990s (wine production launched 1995 per multiple sources; earlier fruit sales to cooperative). Máximo Abete died November 2011; succession to daughters completed. Copa Fina identified as US importer (copafina.com lists as distributor). Wines Direct (Irish distributor) verified. No Japan-specific importer identified in searches. Signature wines drawn from published tasting notes and producer website cuvée descriptions.

No benchmark products catalogued for this producer yet.