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Jumilla's revival brings tasty reds - 2007/05/09 13:20
Historically, Jumilla has been a bulk wine region of Spain. Its altitude, sunny days, cool nights, and scarcity of water are perfect conditions for growing grapes. The consensus in this region was to grow as much as they could, which is the recipe for simple wines. They weren't concerned with their reputation as long as they sold all their grapes and made a comfortable living.
For nearly one hundred years Jumilla's sandy soil had kept the phylloxera louse from destroying their vineyards. But in the late 1980s phylloxera was found in Jumilla and all of the grapevines needed to be pulled up and replaced. The growers were faced with a very important business decision; plant new resistant vines with the old business plan in mind or do something different.
Some vineyard owners chose to replant with better quality varieties. Overwhelmingly, they chose monastrell (mourvedre) for its ability to flourish in a hot climate. They also began to cut back the amount of grapes produced, which created better quality wines. This change in their production philosophy allowed Jumilla to step into the new world market, with new world styled wines.
Wines from the Jumilla DO are excellent values. Many bottles fall into the $10 price range and a few examples in the $20-$25 price range are exceptional. Most bottles of red wine from Jumilla are composed of 100% monastrell or a blend of monastrell, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, or garnacha (grenache). Monastrell boasts flavors of blueberries and spice. Many of these reds are enhanced with American or French oak. Jumilla offers explosively fruit forward wines with the European approach of balancing fruit, acidity, and sultry tannins.
Finca Luzon $10
Casa Castilla $12
Altos de Luzon $18
Altos de la Hoya $14
Las Gravas $23
Wrongo Dongo $10
Juan Gill $18
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