At a glance
- Founded
- 2011year the first vines were planted
- Winemaking
- Fabricio Hernández (since 2015)
- Vineyard
- 296.5 acres (120 ha) · about 5,350 ft (1,630 m)
- Grapes
- Nebbiolo, Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 2 more
- Style
- high-altitude Nebbiolo · barrel-aged reds · traditional-method sparkling · wine in a can
- Visits
- To be confirmed
The house
Editorial review · reviewed on October 11, 2026Where tomatoes and chiles used to be grown, on the Altiplano Potosino, Carlos Quintanilla planted vines in 2011. The vineyard is in the municipality of Moctezuma, in San Luis Potosí, at 5,350 ft (1,630 m), with little rain and a sharp contrast between the heat of the day and the cold of the night.
It began with about 49 acres (20 hectares), and today the house talks of about 300 acres (120 hectares). Commercial-quality production arrived in 2015, with Argentine winemaker Fabricio Hernández, trained in Mendoza, who is still in charge of the wines. In 2022 the magazine El Conocedor gave gold at Global Wine to two wines of the reserve line, the Chardonnay and the Blend.
The catalog is organized in three lines and about a dozen labels, with Italian-clone Nebbiolo as the thread. Laberinto is the entry line, CQ Reserva spends more time in barrel, and Nicole covers rosés and a traditional-method sparkling wine. Even the Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc is sold in a can.
The occasion the house opens to the public is the vendimia, a harvest festival in the vineyard with tours on foot, by bike, or in a small cart, grape stomping, and country food, with optional transport from the state capital. The winery is in the municipality of Moctezuma, about 45 minutes from the capital.
The wines
Estate-grown wines on the high plateau, fermented in stainless steel and aged in oak depending on the line, six months in French and American barrels for Laberinto and twelve in French oak for CQ Reserva. Nebbiolo is the lead grape, and the house adds Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer, rosés, and a sparkling wine.
Red
CQ Reserva Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo
Certified Italian-clone Nebbiolo, hand-harvested, with 12 months in French oak barrels.
Red
Laberinto Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo
Fermented in stainless steel, with 6 months in French and American oak barrels.
White
CQ Reserva Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Passes through barrel. Gold at Global Wine 2022, from El Conocedor magazine.
Red
CQ Reserva Blend
Blend of the reserve line. Gold at Global Wine 2022.
Sparkling
Nicole Espumoso Brut
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir, traditional method with at least 12 months on the lees.
White
Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
The house also sells it in a can.
Grapes it works with
- Nebbiolo
- Syrah
- Malbec
- Tempranillo
- Pinot Noir
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Gewürztraminer
- Vineyard
- about 300 acres (120 hectares) according to the house, with 49 acres (20 hectares) in 2011
- In the vineyard and the cellar
- hand harvest · cluster selection · fermentation in stainless steel
What to taste
Nebbiolo in two versions, the CQ Reserva, with twelve months in French oak, and the Laberinto, with six, and, along the way, the Nicole Brut, a traditional-method sparkling wine made on the high plateau.
Why go
Its harvest festival, the occasion when the vineyard opens to visitors with grape stomping and country food.
Awards
- GoldGlobal Wine (El Conocedor) · CQ Reserva Blend2022
- GoldGlobal Wine (El Conocedor) · CQ Reserva Chardonnay2022
The visit
We have not yet confirmed whether it receives visitors. Ask before you go.
Offers:HarvestToursEvents
The vineyard opens for its vendimia, with vineyard tours and optional transport from San Luis Potosí. Outside that date, ask about visits.
Other activities
- vineyard tour on foot, by bike, or in a small cart
- grape stomping at the harvest festival
- visit to the house's vegetable greenhouses
Events
Every year
- Vendimia de Cava Quintanilla (harvest festival)every year, in harvest season. With tours, lunch in the vineyard, and optional transport from the capital.
The dates of each edition are confirmed with the winery. The ones already announced are on the wine calendar (in Spanish).
Getting there
Moctezuma, San Luis Potosí · Get directions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Open the driving route in Google Maps:
- Directions from your location (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from San Diego, CA (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from San Ysidro Port of Entry (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from San Luis Potosí (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Aeropuerto de San Luis Potosí (opens in a new tab)
- Directions from Querétaro (opens in a new tab)
