Casajús

Casajús, also known as Bodegas Casajús or Casajús Winery, is a Spanish fine-wine producer based in Quintana del Pidio in the province of Burgos. The winery operates within Ribera del Duero, one of Spain’s best-known wine designations, and is associated with family vineyards, traditional cellars, and wines made from the region’s established viticultural heritage. The roots of the business reach back to the 1920s, when the grandparents of José Alberto Calvo Casajús and those of his wife, Leonor, planted vineyards in Quintana del Pidio. The Calvo and Casajús families produced wine over successive generations, initially as family activities rather than as a separate commercial winery. In 1963, members of both families became founding and active participants in the local Los Olmos wine cooperative. That association continued until the early 1990s. In 1993, José Alberto left the cooperative and established his own winery under the name Bodegas J.A. Calvo Casajús. The new venture initially operated alongside his work as a baker. This step marked the transition from multigenerational family wine production and cooperative participation to an independent winery focused on its own labels and cellar practices. Casajús’s best-known wines include NIC, Casajús Antiguos Viñedos, Vendimia Seleccionada, Splendore, and Valpidio. NIC was first produced in 2004, and its name is derived from the names of José Alberto’s children, Nicolás and Catalina. The range reflects the winery’s emphasis on vineyard character and traditional Ribera del Duero identity, while the exact blends, production methods, and commercial positioning vary by wine and vintage. The winery achieved broader international recognition in the mid-2000s after positive reviews in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. The attention was particularly associated with NIC and the Antiguos Viñedos and Vendimia Seleccionada bottlings. In 2013, critic Neal Martin’s reviews for The Wine Advocate gave Casajús wines some of the highest scores reported for Ribera del Duero in that coverage, including 97 points for NIC 2009 and 95 points for Casajús Viñedos Antiguos 2009. Further recognition came through reviews in international wine publications, including Wine Spectator. Casajús remains identified with a small, family-rooted winery rather than a large beverage conglomerate. Public reference material describes its location, family history, wines, and critical reception, but does not provide detailed information about current ownership structure, production volume, revenue, export distribution, or a formal corporate group. Its brand proposition is therefore best understood as an independent Ribera del Duero estate built around inherited vineyards, local continuity, and high-end bottled wines with international critical visibility.

Casajús developed from the long-standing vineyard and cellar traditions of the Calvo and Casajús families in Quintana del Pidio, a town in Burgos at the heart of the Ribera del Duero wine region. The grandparents of José Alberto Calvo Casajús and those of his wife, Leonor, planted vineyards there in 1920. Over subsequent generations, the families made their own wines in traditional cellars. A major institutional stage began in 1963 with the foundation of the Los Olmos local wine cooperative in Quintana del Pidio. José Alberto’s family and Leonor’s family were founding participants and remained active members until the beginning of the 1990s. The cooperative period connected the family’s vineyard production with the local wine economy, but the families continued to retain a direct relationship with their vineyards and traditional winemaking practices. In 1993, José Alberto left Los Olmos and founded an independent winery in Quintana del Pidio under the name Bodegas J.A. Calvo Casajús. The business initially existed alongside his occupation as a baker. Establishing the winery allowed the family to bottle and present its own wines under an independent identity rather than participating only through a cooperative structure. The winery introduced its signature wine, NIC, in 2004. The name is an acronym formed from the names of José Alberto’s children, Nicolás and Catalina. During the middle of the 2000s, Casajús began to receive wider international attention as wine critics reviewed its bottles favorably. The Wine Advocate reviews of NIC, Antiguos Viñedos, Vendimia Seleccionada, Splendore, and Valpidio helped establish the winery’s reputation beyond its local market. The strongest documented period of critical visibility came in the 2010s. In 2013, Neal Martin’s coverage for The Wine Advocate gave NIC 2009 a score of 97 points and Casajús Viñedos Antiguos 2009 a score of 95 points. These were described as among the highest scores in Ribera del Duero in that coverage and generated additional international media interest. Other vintages of NIC and the winery’s other labels also received high scores from The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. Casajús’s history is consequently defined by continuity and independence: inherited vineyards planted in the early twentieth century, participation in a local cooperative from the 1960s, the creation of a family winery in 1993, and the development of premium labels in the 2000s and 2010s. Available reference material does not establish detailed information about later ownership, corporate structure, production capacity, or current management beyond the winery’s family identity and location.

1. 2013High-profile Ribera del Duero scores increase visibility

   The Wine Advocate coverage gives NIC 2009 97 points and Casajús Viñedos Antiguos 2009 95 points, contributing to international attention for the winery.

   Source
2. 2004NIC is introduced

   Casajús begins production of NIC, a signature wine named from the first names of José Alberto’s children, Nicolás and Catalina.

   Source
3. 1993Independent winery is established

   José Alberto leaves the local cooperative and establishes Bodegas J.A. Calvo Casajús in Quintana del Pidio.

   Source
4. 1963Los Olmos cooperative is founded

   The local Los Olmos wine cooperative is established in Quintana del Pidio, with both families among its founding and active members.

   Source
5. 1920Family vineyards are planted in Quintana del Pidio

   The grandparents of José Alberto Calvo Casajús and those of his wife, Leonor, plant vineyards in Quintana del Pidio, establishing the family viticultural base later associated with Casajús.

   Source

Family-rooted, independent Ribera del Duero fine wine emphasizing traditional local heritage, vineyard expression, and internationally reviewed vintages.

• NICRibera del Duero fine red wine2004

  NIC is Casajús’s signature wine and entered production in 2004. Its name is formed from the names Nicolás and Catalina, the children of founder José Alberto Calvo Casajús. The wine became the winery’s most visible international ambassador after strong reviews from The Wine Advocate, including 97 points for the 2009 vintage and additional high scores for several other vintages. Specific technical details such as grape composition and production volume are not established in the supplied reference material.

• Casajús Antiguos ViñedosOld-vine Ribera del Duero wine

  Casajús Antiguos Viñedos is a premium label associated with the winery’s inherited vineyard tradition. It received substantial critical attention, including a 95-point review for the 2009 vintage from The Wine Advocate and a 93-point review for the 2014 vintage from Wine Spectator. The available material does not specify the age of the vines, blend, or cellar regimen.

• Vendimia SeleccionadaSelected-harvest Ribera del Duero wine

  Vendimia Seleccionada is one of Casajús’s recognized wine labels. Its name indicates a selected-harvest positioning, while the supplied references provide no complete technical specification. The label received favorable reviews across multiple vintages, including 94 points for 2010 from The Wine Advocate and 92 points for 2014 from Wine Spectator.

• SplendoreFine wine

  Splendore is a Casajús wine included in the winery’s premium portfolio. It received a 93-point review for the 2010 vintage and a 91-point review for the 2007 vintage from The Wine Advocate. Publicly supplied reference material does not provide further information about its grape varieties, maturation, or current availability.

• ValpidioRibera del Duero wine

  Valpidio is another Casajús label associated with Ribera del Duero production. The Wine Advocate awarded 92 points to the 2011 vintage and 90 points to the 2013 and 2014 vintages. The supplied source does not describe the wine’s detailed style, blend, or commercial distribution.

• 2004Launch of NICProduct launch

  After establishing the independent winery, Casajús expanded its identity through a signature wine connected to the founder’s family.

  What changed. The winery began producing NIC, whose name references Nicolás and Catalina, José Alberto’s children.

  Aftermath. NIC became the winery’s most prominently reviewed label and helped drive international awareness after high scores from major wine publications.

  Source
• 1993Move from cooperative participation to independent winery productionStrategy

  José Alberto Calvo Casajús had family ties to the Los Olmos cooperative, where both family branches were founding and active members. In 1993, he left the cooperative and pursued an independent winery in Quintana del Pidio.

  What changed. He founded Bodegas J.A. Calvo Casajús, creating a separate family winery and label platform.

  Aftermath. The decision enabled Casajús to develop its own portfolio and later build international recognition through wines such as NIC, Antiguos Viñedos, and Vendimia Seleccionada.

  Source

• 2013NIC 2009 receives a 97-point review

  Coverage of Neal Martin’s reviews for The Wine Advocate identified NIC 2009 as a 97-point wine and Casajús Viñedos Antiguos 2009 as a 95-point wine, bringing additional attention to the winery.

  Other
  Source
• Casajús achieves international attention through critical wine reviews

  The winery received international recognition in the mid-2000s after favorable coverage in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, especially for NIC, Antiguos Viñedos, and Vendimia Seleccionada.

  Other
  Source

1. Casajús