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The 2017 vintage will go down in history as "the year of the frost". After a dry and mild winter, budding occurred notably early in the season. Then, on April 28th temperatures dropped below zero in the majority of Rioja. Due to low-yield production and the summer drought, all work in the vineyard focused on avoiding the loss of freshness in the different varieties, which is easier to achieve in the Alto Najerilla area.

Bodegas y Viñedos Gomez Cruzado dates back to 1886, with nobleman Ángel Gómez de Arteche bottling his own wine in Rioja Alta. Purchased in 1916 by Ángel and Jesús Gómez Cruzado, the winery passed onto the Baños family in the early 2000s, and is today led by winemaker/viticulturalist David González. Gómez Cruzado wines are sourced from traditional old bush-trained vineyards in the most elevated areas of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. The approach is to produce wines born in the vineyard, from around one hundred plots across three different terroirs: Alto Najerilla, Bajo Najerilla and Sierra Cantabria. An intense renovation of the winery was completed in 2005, including fermenting vessels (stainless steel and concrete eggs) and predominately small French oak.