Description
Casa Castillo Monastrell is a fresh and juicy wine, with a lovely purity of fruit, sourced from younger vines across the property. A good way to get a feel for the quality of a producer in Burgundy is to taste their Bourgogne Rouge, and this makes an excellent springboard to Jose Maria’s wines. Spicy, savoury nose with complex aromas of berry fruit, a hint of spice and delicate flowery touch. Palate is rich and full-bodied while retaining freshness, with a long finish.
The sun baked landscape of Jumilla doesn’t immediately strike you as a place to produce graceful wines, with 300 days of sunshine per year and low rainfall. The secret which Jose MarÃa Vicente has discovered is the Levant native Monastrell (known as Mourvedre in France) which loves the chalky terroirs and cooler slopes of the Sierra del Molar. Jose MarÃa’s grandfather purchased the property in 1941, the original cellar was built by Frenchmen fleeing the phylloxera plague in 1870. Jose MarÃa and his father replanted the whole property with native varietals in 1985. They produce three single varietals and two single vineyard wines. Pie Franco, named after the un-grafted vines, is building a reputation as one of the best reds in Spain, and all the wines brilliantly combine finesse with the Mediterranean character of the zone.
