Juan Glaria

Coming Up

Winemaking at Bodegas La Casa de Lúculo has been a long assignment for Juan Glaria, who has held the role since 2004. That continuity matters in a trade where seasonal differences, vineyard familiarity and timing in the cellar shape the final result as much as any fixed method. The work here is not about novelty; it is about sustaining a clear line between grape, site and finished wine, with Navarra’s character kept in view at every step.

Where They Are Now

“At Bodegas La Casa de Lúculo, located in Mendigorría, Navarra, we make small-lot wines with selected grapes to create our Cátulo and Lúculo estate wines, always from Navarra's native grape: Garnacha.” That statement points to a cellar practice built on selection and scale. Small-lot production allows closer control, while selected grapes keep the focus on material that can carry the estate’s style without excess. In Mendigorría, the aim is not volume but definition: to let Garnacha hold the center and to shape wines that read as distinctly Navarra.

Signature

Juan's signature wines include Cátulo and Lúculo. Those wines are the clearest read on the house style he has helped establish. Built as estate wines and rooted in Garnacha, Cátulo and Lúculo are presented with the vineyard visible rather than buried under technique. The result is a profile that stays close to the region and keeps the expression disciplined.

In Their Words “At Bodegas La Casa de Lúculo, located in Mendigorría, Navarra, we make small-lot wines with selected grapes to create our Cátulo and Lúculo estate wines, always from Navarra's native grape: Garnacha.” “Specifically, to make a wine that conveys the originality of the vineyards grown in the distinctive conditions of Baja Montaña.” Taken together, these lines describe a method built around fidelity to site. The emphasis is on small lots, selected fruit and the attempt to preserve the originality of the vineyards, not on masking them. Baja Montaña is treated as the frame that gives the wines their form, and Garnacha as the grape through which that character is carried. For Juan Glaria, the brief is straightforward: keep the wines close to their place, and keep the place legible in the bottle.