Dominio de ANZA
Rioja
Dominio de Anza represents the compelling personal project of Diego Magaña, a winemaker whose family legacy at the iconic Viña Magaña in Navarra provided the foundation for what has become one of Rioja’s most exciting modern signatures. Since establishing his own footprint in the high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alavesa, Diego Magana has moved away from the region's historical obsession with heavy oak aging and moved toward a "village-centric" philosophy that prioritizes transparency and terroir. By focusing on the rugged, sky-high plots around Laguardia, he captures the unique Atlantic influence and limestone-heavy soils that define this prestigious sub-region.
The winemaking at Dominio de Anza is defined by a "less is more" ethos, drawing significant inspiration from the finesse and verticality of Burgundy. Diego Magana treats his Rioja plots with the same reverence a Burgundian producer shows a Premier Cru, aiming for a profile that favors elegance, acidity, and aromatic complexity over raw power. He utilizes whole-cluster fermentation to provide freshness and floral notes, while aging takes place in large-format, seasoned French oak to ensure the wood frames the fruit rather than masking it. This approach results in wines with remarkable "crunch," red-fruit vibrance, and a sense of lift that departs from the heavy, oxidative styles of the past.
His flagship Selección Especial serves as a sophisticated introduction to this style, offering a masterclass in balance and purity. For those seeking the ultimate expression of site-specificity, his single-vineyard bottlings like Finca El Pausa showcase the intense mineral character of ancient field-blend vineyards where Tempranillo coexists with Graciano and Viura at elevations that push the limits of the appellation. Diego Magaña is no longer merely a rising star; he is a confirmed master of his craft, providing our portfolio with wines that are as intellectually stimulating and refined as a fine Côte de Beaune.
Imported exclusively in Hong Kong and Macau by Souveraine Limited and in Mainland China by MUYI
Dominio de ANZA | Bierzo
In the steep, slate-strewn hills of Bierzo, Diego Magaña applies his signature touch to ancient Mencía vines, creating wines of profound aromatic lift and mineral drive.
Selección de Parcelas 2024 This cuvée is a masterful mosaic of Bierzo’s landscape, blending fruit from 9 to 10 distinct plots across the villages of Valtuille and Otero. Sourced from vines averaging 85 years of age, it offers a complete and harmonious expression of the region’s old-vine heritage.
Rapolao 2024 Sourced from one of Bierzo’s most iconic and "Grand Cru" status sites in Valtuille de Abajo, this wine comes from a west-facing parcel of 108-year-old vines. The deep red clay soils here impart a unique texture and structural depth, making it one of the most sought-after expressions in the portfolio.
Valdehorta 2024 A polar opposite to the clay of Valtuille, this small parcel in Otero is defined by lean, shallow soils of slate and granite. The 85-year-old vines sit almost directly on the bedrock, producing a wine of intense verticality, tension, and crystalline mineral purity.
ANZA | Rioja
In Rioja Alavesa, Diego seeks the "limit" of viticulture, focusing on high-altitude plots near the Sierra Cantabria mountain range to craft wines with a Burgundian soul.
Anza 2024 The backbone of the Rioja project, this wine is a blend of 12 parcels situated in the high-elevation villages of Laguardia and Elvillar. The vines, ranging from 30 to 70 years old, grow in sandy and limestone-rich soils with very little clay. This specific terroir results in a remarkably direct, sharp, and fresh profile, always complemented by a small percentage of indigenous white varieties for added aromatic lift.
CDVIN 2024 (Grenache) Venturing to the Alto Najerilla valley on the opposite side of the river, Diego explores the cooler, high-altitude influence of the Sierra de la Demanda. This wine features ancient Grenache and Viura from the legendary villages of Cordovín and Badarán, renowned for producing Garnacha of rare finesse, transparency, and vibrant acidity.
La Canoca 2024 Sourced from an iconic valley in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, this parcel sits at the very foot of the mountain. While San Vicente is traditionally known for power, the proximity to the peaks at La Canoca grants this wine a unique structural elegance and serious aging potential. Diego sources these exceptional grapes from his close friend, Eduardo Eguren.
Carramonte 2024 The "jewel" of the project, Carramonte represents a selection of the three finest parcels identified through years of blind tasting and soil analysis (calicatas). Located at the absolute limit of where vineyards can survive, these sandy plots sit on the "way to the mountain" (Carramonte). These are the most ethereal and precise wines in the cellar, defined by their high-altitude energy and unparalleled elegance.
At the beginning of our conversation, I ask him if he was born in a winery. "No, I was born in a hospital, but I was raised among vineyards and bottles," he replies with a laugh. It was in Tudela, in October 1982—"one of the great vintages of the century," as Diego Magaña aptly puts it. Not long ago, Diego embarked on his solo winemaking adventure, moving away from the path started by his father, Juan Pío Magaña—a benchmark for Navarran wines who began cultivating his vineyards in 1972.
His new venture, Dominio de Anza, is doing well. The wines he produces in Bierzo—that breakout region for great Spanish wines—have earned excellent scores from Luis Gutiérrez, the critic for Spain at Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate. With this, Diego Magaña joins a new generation of viticulturists who are making Bierzo one of the most dynamic and attractive Denominations of Origin in Spain, with recognition that is already crossing borders.
Diego Magaña says he fell in love with wine "by obligation." "When I was 21, I was a bit of a rebel, and my father sent me to study at the School of Vine and Wine in Madrid. There, after the first three months, something woke up in me. In class, they were teaching me things I had heard discussed at home many times, and I flipped the switch."
That mischievous student became a wine enthusiast who absorbed every bit of information he could find. He earned a scholarship that allowed him to work the 2003 harvest at Château Fayau in Cadillac, Bordeaux. There, he fell in love with Bordeaux wines—"specifically those from the Right Bank of the Gironde," Magaña clarifies.
In 2004, he returned to school to continue his studies, completing a Master’s in Enology at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineers in Madrid. That same year, he vinified his first harvest at Viña Magaña, his family’s winery in the Navarran municipality of Barillas. In February 2005, immediately after finishing his studies, he traveled to Argentina to work the harvest at Bodega O. Fournier, which, in addition to its Mendoza estate, owns wineries in Ribera del Duero and the Maule Valley (Chile).
Diego continued his path, working at Bodegas Magaña alongside his father, but as often happens in the best families, disagreements with his progenitor began to arise. In the mind of this young Navarran enologist, new interests, projects, and challenges were already forming. He continued his training, and in 2012, he completed two harvests: one in April in Chile at Viña Errazuriz, and another in September with the Thienpont family—one of the most emblematic families in Pomerol and owners of Vieux Château Certan and Le Pin.
During this time, he crossed paths with Raúl Pérez, one of the titans of the wine world. Appreciating the Navarran’s passion and talent, Pérez offered his support, and Diego's long-held dream began to become a reality. Magaña fell in love with the Bierzo landscape and the diversity and heterogeneity of its terroirs and wines. Having the support of Pérez—producer of some of Spain's finest wines and considered among the best winemakers in the world—made him realize he could fulfill all the dreams that started back in his days as a struggling student. "I am very grateful to Raúl; without him, I wouldn't have made it this far," he says.
His brand, Dominio de Anza, is a tribute to his mother, Esperanza Tejero, whom he adores. The wines that first gained him recognition are El Rapolao 2015 and Selección de Parcelas 2015, both highlighted by The Wine Advocate.
El Rapolao 2015 comes from vines around 100 years old, planted after the original vines were uprooted following the phylloxera invasion. The vineyard is located in the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo, specifically in the small village of Valtuille de Abajo; it faces west and slopes slightly to the south. At an altitude of about 570 meters, its soil is composed of a very red clay with a high iron content. Explaining the particularities of the plot, Magaña says, "It was always one of the estates that nobody wanted because it’s one of the coolest and therefore the hardest to ripen, and that makes it something special."
It was vinified in "always-full" stainless steel tanks with 90% stems (whole-cluster), with 21 days of contact at a temperature not exceeding 27°C. It was aged for 12 months in used 500-liter French oak barrels, seeking at all times to avoid the presence of wood and allowing the wine to express exactly what it is. With an alcohol content of 14%, only 1,200 bottles of this vintage were produced. According to its creator, it is a perfumed, elegant, fresh, and transparent wine.
On the other hand, in Selección de Parcelas 2015, Magaña seeks freshness across different plots with an average age of 80 years located in various villages (Valtuille de Abajo, Otero, and Toral de los Vados), all within the municipality of Villafranca del Bierzo. The soil of the El Val vineyard in Valtuille is composed of clay and a pebbled surface; Otero is slate and clay; and Toral de los Vados is slate.
Although he has been paving the way for many years through effort and hard work, there is no doubt that at 35, Diego Magaña’s future has only just begun. He is not settling for the bright future that awaits him in Bierzo; he has also purchased vineyards in Laguardia and Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa and has rented space in a cooperative where he is starting a new project.
He claims his passion for wine is so strong that when he goes on vacation, the destination is usually a wine region. When he is working—which is almost always—he moves within this "magic triangle" formed by Bierzo, Rioja, and Navarra: "When I travel from Bierzo to Navarra or vice versa, I can't help but stop in Rioja."