Julio López Mourelle

The Path

Winemaking here is built on formal study and long placement in commercial cellars. At the University of Santiago de Compostela and the University of California, Davis, Julio López Mourelle trained for that work before moving into production at Stay's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa, California, where he worked as winemaker from 1993. He later served as winemaker at Sterling Vineyards, then as winemaker at Dominio de Valdepusa from 1995 to 2020, and also as winemaker at Marqués de Griñón in Malpica de Tajo, Spain.

The Work Today

The brief for this style of winemaking is explicit: to keep pushing wines toward clearer expression of terroir. In Julio López Mourelle's own words, the aim was to make wines that increasingly reflect the characteristics of the site, with floral notes, minerality, and spice, while staying balanced, elegant, and fresh.

In Their Words “The aspiration is to make wines that increasingly reflect the characteristics of our terroir, with floral notes, minerality, and spice, while being balanced, elegant, and fresh.”

Career - Winemaker — Stay's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa, California (from 1993) - Winemaker — Sterling Vineyards - Winemaker — Dominio de Valdepusa (1995–2020) - Winemaker — Marqués de Griñón, Malpica de Tajo, Spain Education: University of Santiago de Compostela; University of California, Davis

Acclaim

Recognition here comes through what the estate became and who backed it. Speaking of Carlos, Julio López Mourelle said, “I cared a lot about Carlos; he had the courage to take a family estate that had never produced wine but looked promising for vineyards and start an adventure from nothing.”

FAQ Where did Julio López Mourelle train or study? Julio López Mourelle trained at University of Santiago de Compostela and University of California, Davis. What is Julio López Mourelle known for? Winemaking.