In today’s tasting our Wine Director, David Allen MW, try’s a wine from one of the leading producers from Spain’s Jumilla region. Grown in the foothills of the Sierra del Molar Monastrell is the typical grape variety grown in Jumilla. The 2021 vintage of Casa Castillo’s Jumillia Monastrell offers plenty of character at a great price.
Arguably the best estate in Jumilla, Bodegas Casa Castillo lies on the plateau in this underrated wine region. Owner José Maria Vicente is the third-generation of his family to run the estate, his grandfather having purchased it in 1941. The cellars and vineyards were originally established by a French vigneron in 1870 when he arrived in the area following the devastation of his native vineyards by the Phylloxera aphid. Jose María and his father replanted the whole estate, using native rather than international varietals in the late, 1980s, releasing their first new wine in 1991.
The estate now has 174-hectares of vineyards, cooled by being located at altitudes between 400-800 meters and through the cooling influence of the Mediterranean. The vineyards are certified as organic.
Fermentations take place in stainless steel tanks and concrete vats. Pigeage is done by foot, and whole clusters are increasingly used. Aging follows in concrete tanks, 5000 liter foudres, and 500 liter French oak demi-muids. The wines are generally bottled unfiltered to allow them to be as expressive as possible.
To find out more about this wine, its pricing and its availability follow this link to the Wine-Searcher website:
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