An extensive vineyard of bush-trained vines, most of them planted over half a century ago.
The image of tradition, the mark of Rioja’s ancestral viticulture, and the legacy of a family history spanning almost a century —a history which, with its fourth generation, now looks to the future to spread the pleasure of wine.
Ricardo Pérez Pérez, originally from La Rioja, returns after a long period living in Chile. He settles on the San Rafael estate, on the meander of the Ebro River in Laserna (Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa).
Second generation. Ricardo Pérez Calvet, an experienced agricultural engineer, promotes the expansion of the estate’s vineyards. At that time, the property was an agricultural mosaic with plots of cereal, pasture, vegetable gardens, fruit trees and a few vines. The family begins to produce wine for their own consumption.
Ricardo Pérez Calvet and his son, Ricardo Pérez Villota, decided to establish a winery in partnership with the Cvne group, with whom they had enjoyed a long-standing relationship as grape suppliers.
This alliance led to the creation of a brand that would soon become an icon of contemporary Rioja wine: Viñedos del Contino.
Contino’s project grew, first under the direction of José Ángel Madrazo Real de Asúa and later under Ricardo Pérez Villota. During this period, Jesús Madrazo took on the role of winemaker and technical director.
The Pérez Villota family parted ways with Contino and created Viña del Lentisco, producing the Villota brand of wines from their own vineyard in the San Rafael meander. Over the following decade, Villota has developed a full range of white and red wines made using the different varieties grown on the estate.
In 2021, Villota reunited with Jesús Madrazo, who joined the winery as winemaker. In 2025, the Villota range was completed with Las Anchas, a top wine from selected plots on the estate.
The estate is now led by Carmen Pérez Garrigues, representing the fourth generation of a family of vinegrowers in the San Rafael meander. Since 2014, Villota has been producing wine using an exceptional resource: native white and red Rioja grape varieties grown entirely on the estate.
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