The guide created by Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, has recognized the first Jumilla PDO wine with 100 points, the highest possible score, reserved only for a few winemakers in the world. The critic and taster of this publication, Luis Gutiérrez, gives the highest score to the Casa Castillo Pie Franco 2020 wine.
Gutiérrez writes about the producer and soul of the Casa Castillo project, José María Vicente, whose wines he has been tasting for the last 20 years. This Casa Castillo Pie Franco wine, which already received 99 points in the 2017 vintage, comes from non-grafted vines planted in 1942 by José María’s grandfather, of whom he has said, “it demonstrates the deep knowledge of its grape varieties and terroirs to produce wines that proudly express their origin.
Pride of being Mediterranean”.
In his article entitled «Spain, Central and Mediterranean, here comes the sun, the legendary 2020 vintage», Gutiérrez mentions the DANA that hit some areas of the Jumilla PDO in 2019, with disparate repercussions in its municipalities of Tobarra, Albatana, Ontur, Hellín, Fuente Álamo, Montealegre del Castillo, and Jumilla, and ends by reviewing the climatic circumstances of the 2020 and 2021 vintages. It highlights the Mediterranean character of a not very cold year, 2020, with enough rain in spring and a warm, ideal for the vines to achieve perfect maturity, achieving wines, «from an improved version to 2017, with more freshness and balance, with many directions producing their best wines. Wines without shyness, with power and concentration, as those of the Mediterranean should be, but also freshness, balance, elegance and filigree », he sums up, « The time has come for Mediterranean wines ».
On his trip to Jumilla, he comes in search of the perfect Monastrell, however, Luis Gutiérrez makes a very special mention for a white wine “the best Airén I have tasted in my life”, he testifies referring to El Cerrico 2020, from Bodegas Cerrón, a wine that comes from a vineyard located in Fuente Álamo, and planted in 1949 on sandy soils with a high percentage of limestone. «A wine with enormous personality, coming from the most exciting project in central and Mediterranean Spain in years. A winery to follow».
In this latest assessment published at the end of April 2020, Gutiérrez tasted wines from 9 Jumilla PDO Certified wineries, from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages. Bodegas Casa Castillo stands out especially, with 12 wines tasted, where Pie Franco, with his 100 points touches the sky, closely followed by Las Gravas 2020, with 98 points, Pie Franco 2019 with 97 points, Casa Castillo El Molar 2020, Cuvée N 2019 and Las Gravas 2019 receiving 95 points, which is also awarded to Micrit Caliza 2019, while El Molar 2019 receives 94, La Tendida 2020 93 points, Valtosca 2020, 93 points, Casa Castillo Monastrell 2020, 92 points, Vino de Finca 2019, 92 points and Casa Castillo Monastrell 2019, 91 points.
It also values 4 wines from Bodegas Cerrón, of which La Calera del Escaramujo 2020 reaches 95 points, followed by El Cerrico 2020 and Los Yesares 2020 with 94 points, and La Servil 2020 with 93.
For its part, Bodegas El Nido also receives high ratings with 94 points for El Nido 2019, 93 points for Clio 2019 and El Nido 2018, 92 points for Corteo 2019, and 92 for Clio 2018. The Bruto Monastrell 2018 and 2019 wines reach 92 points.
Juan Gil Plata 2019 receives 93 points and Juan Gil Azul 2019 obtains 92 points. Among the 12 mentioned wines from Bodegas Juan Gil, Albacea 2020, Honoro Vera Organic 2020, and Juan Gil Red Blend 2019 also stand out, reaching 90 points.
Bodegas Viña Elena is another of the wineries that scores above 90 points, with its Bruma del Estrecho collection: Finca CQ 2020, obtains 92 points as well as Finca Mandiles 2020, Airén de Paraje las Encebras 2020 reaches 91 points, and Parcela Vereda 2020 also receives 91.
Parajes del Valle Bodegas y Viñedos obtains 90 points for its Terraje 2020, and Bodegas Olivares receives another 90 points for its Altos de la Hoya 2020, Olivares Monastrell 2020 and Olivares Rosado 2021.
There are many wines with outstanding results: Ego Bodegas Infinito 2018, Fuerza 2020, Acuma 2021, Finca Bacara Tabá 2020, Finca Bacara 3015 and Time Waits for No One Red were highly valued. Bodegas Luzón, with its wines Luzón Colección Monastrell 2021, Altos de Luzón 2020 and Por Tí 2019, obtained very good ratings. In addition, Gutiérrez does not forget his recognition of the sweet wines of the Jumilla PDO, awarding 94 points to Olivares Dulce Monastrell 2017.
We are talking about a historic 2020 vintage in the Jumilla PDO, valued by the Jumilla CRDOP tasting panel as Excellent, Gutiérrez agrees and grants the considered best wines of this Denomination of Origin a place in the Olympus, which transcends good make of the elaboration of the PDO Jumilla and the world of wine.
The Jumilla PDO is one of the oldest Denominations of Origin in Spain, its wine-growing tradition is ancient, as evidenced by the remains of vitis vinifera found in Jumilla originating from the year 3,000 BC, being the oldest in Europe.
The production area is delimited, on the one hand, by the extreme southeast of the province of Albacete, which includes the municipalities of Montealegre del Castillo, Fuente Álamo, Ontur, Hellín, Albatana and Tobarra; on the other, the north of the province of Murcia, with the municipality of Jumilla. An area that is characterized by large valleys crisscrossed by mountains up to 1,380 meters. A total of 22,500 hectares of vineyards, mostly rainfed, cultivated in goblets, and located on predominantly limestone soils, at altitudes that vary between 320 and 950 meters.
The climate of this area is continental with Mediterranean influence. The low rainfall, which barely reaches 300 mm per year, and the more than 3,000 hours of sunshine, allow ideal conditions for organic farming, the majority in this Denomination of Origin.
2
