Based in the lower part of Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa) since 1894, this winery is one of the ancient jewels of the Denomination. With brands such as Castillo de Rioja and Glorioso dating from the 20th century, it boasts a rich history full of anecdotes and prominent events.
Founder Cosme Palacio rented a winery in the Duero area to procure wine when phylloxera devastaded Rioja. That winery was Vega Sicilia and the winemaker who travelled there to oversee production was Txomin Garramiola, a Riojan who settled in the region and laid the foundations of what today is the legendary Único.
In the 1980s the winery played a decisive role in the modernisation of Rioja wines when a very young Michel Rolland was hired to help create Cosme Palacio red, aged entirely in French oak. The fruity character brought along a new style and meant that, for the first time, the top bottling in the winery was not a Reserva or Gran Reserva, but a simple Crianza. The reason: the use of new barrels reduced aging times.
The Palacio family owned the winery until it was purchased by Domecq, which would soon be taken over by the Seagram corporation. In 1985 it was purchased by a group of investors led by Frenchman Jean Gervais and in 1998 it passed to Hijos de Antonio Barceló – integrated in Acciona corporation. In 2017, Acciona relaunched its winemaking division under the name Grupo Bodegas Palacio 1894. Finally, in 2021 the company was renamed Entrecanales Domecq and Sons as the eponymous family took full control of the grupo.
Entrecanales Domecq also owns wineries in Ribera del Duero (Secreto), Rueda (Donas 1265) Valdeorras (El Aeronauta) and Jerez (La Tula).
The wines
In Rioja the two main ranges are based on brands Glorioso and Cosme Palacio. The first represents excellent value for money and includes Tempranillos such as the Crianza (€7.5), Reserva (€12) and Gran Reserva (€20). It is not as classic as it might seem at first sight and, although it shows moderate structure, it is fruit-driven and aged entirely in French oak.
Cosme Palacio is the brand for the premium range. A tribute to the founder, it began with the red Tempranillo Crianza, a wine that helped usher in a more modern style of Rioja in the 1990s. The ageing designation was later replaced with the more fitting description of Vino de Pueblo (village wine) de Laguardia (€20). The range also includes two Reserva wines, white (€21) and red (€31), as well as two super-premium Viñedo Singular wines, also a red and a white, released under the Cosme Palacio 1894 brand that celebrates the winery's founding year. Produced in limited quantities, the red includes Graciano in the blend, while the white, barrel-fermented and distinctly opulent in style, is made from Viura and Malvasía sourced from an old vineyard planted in 1920.